Bonds of the Hōjō
by EpicZL
Summary: The Hōjō are known for their strong family bonds. How far will Ren Hōjō, the adopted son of Ujiyasu, go to protect his loved ones and keep his family together despite the hardships that he is bound to face. (OC x Lady Hayakawa) lemons later on.
1. Family

**Hey guys EpicZL here! This is my first story so please leave a review on what you think. This will have elements from Samurai Warriors 4, 4-11, Empires, and Spirit of Sanada. I don't own Samurai Warriors, Koei Techmo does. The main pairing will be between an OC,Ren Hōjō,which is my character from Empires and Lady Hayakawa cuz there is definitely not enough of her. Without further ado please enjoy Bonds of the Hōjō!**

Chapter 1: Family

(Odawara Castle outskirts,Kanto)

A large downpour of rain had struck the famed Odawara Castle that day, and as the sound of rain resonated throughout the city, there stood one man at the castle gates. He had dark blond hair, a red headband on his head which was covered with many battle scars, and a large red, black, and gold jacket which showed his scar covered chest and proudly displayed the Hōjō symbol of the three triangles on his back.This man was Ujiyasu Hōjō, the famed Lion of Sagami and head of the Hōjō clan. With him stood many of his soldiers that were helping peasants get into the castle.

"Come on men! Get these people inside quick!", Ujiyasu yelled to his soldiers. The peasants were forced to flee to Odawara due to a failed coup that occured in a city to the south. The Aizu clan which had served the Hojo for several years, planned to attack Odawara Castle and claim all of Kanto for themselves. However, due to internal struggles the clan ended up fighting themselves which led to The castle being burned down and the Aizu clan being destroyed. Ujiyasu, who was known as a benevolent ruler took in these people because he knew that they were just ordinary people who were unfortunate enough to live in that city.

"My lord, that seems to be all of them", reported his soldier. "Alright everyone, lets head back inside", Ujiyasu ordered until he saw something slowly appoach the gate. It was a young boy with short spiky black hair and soft black eyes. As the boy approached Ujiyasu, he squated down to the boy's level. "Oi kid, where's your family?", Ujiyasu asked. "Their gone", he replied with sadness in his eyes. Just then Ujiyasu noticed the symbol on the back of his shirt. "What's your name kid?", He asked. "It's Ren, Ren Aizu", He said shyly. Ujiyasu thought about it for a while before finally saying, "Hey kid how about staying with my family for a while, you'll catch a cold if you stay out in this rain for too long". His officer then said, "My lord, I don't think this is a good idea. He's one of the Aizu clan, what if something happens to to you". Ujiyasu looked back angrily at the officer and said," The Aizu are gone, all I see is a kid in the rain by himself with no family at all. If I just leave him here, it would be against everything I stand for, you fool!". He then started head back towards the castle while carrying Ren on his back.

"So kid tell me, were you close with your parents?", Ujiyasu asked. "No I wasn't, in fact I never even met my father because he was always so busy", he said sadly. Ujiyasu was suprised and truly felt sorry for the kid."What about your mother?", he asked with curiosity in his voice."I was never really that close with her either, she always said that she had something else to do and told me to go away", Ren said while looking down. Ujiyasu was unsurprised by the news because he had always known that the Aizu were cold hearted to both their people and their own family but he still could barely contain his anger because of how they little they cared about their child. "So what did you normally do with no one around?", Ujiyasu asked."I mostly just trained and studied all the time while no one was there", he replied. "Why did you do that?", Ujiyasu asked with confusion."I just really wanted to be helpful to my clan even if they didn't want me" Ren said with a soft look in his eyes."(this kid...)", Ujiyasu thought to himself as he couldn't believe someone who was born the Aizu clan and was alone for his entire life could be such a caring and determined child. It was at that moment that Ujiyasu made a decision that would alter the Hojo clan's fate...

(Odawara Castle Main Ward, Kanto)

"Here we are kid", Ujiyasu said as they reached the main castle. "Wow it's so big!", Ren said with astonishment."Come on let's go inside", Ujiyasu said as the gates were opened for them. As the two went inside, they were met with a beautiful, young woman with black hair tied into a long ponytail. Her kimono was red with golden outlines and had the Hojo symbol proudly displayed on the back. "Welcome back dear, and oh who is this handsome young man you brought home?", the woman asked. Ren got off of Ujiyasu's back and bowed before shyly saying, "M-My name is Ren, it's a pleasure to meet you". She smiled as she said,"Oh my! So polite, my name is Suikeiin, I'm Ujiyasu's wife". Ren looked at her for a while before thinking,"(wait SHE is HIS wife?)". She could tell what he was thinking, and she could barely contain her laughter before looking at him and saying,"Let's get you a change of clothes before you get sick in that". She led him to the bathroom to get changed then shw went to her husband.

"So he's one of the Aizu clan? He certainly doesn't seem like it", Suikeiin said looking at her husband." Yeah but now he has nowhere to go and no family to turn to, not that he had much of a family before anyway", Ujiyasu said while putting his usual pipe in his mouth."Let me guess, you want to take him into the Hōjō", she said with a knowing smile on her face. Ujiyasu took his pipe out and with a smile said,"Hey I know that you've taken a shine to him as well, besides i'm sure Ujimasa and the others will like him right away". Suikeiin smiled and said," Yeah I suppose your right besides Hayakawa could use a brother around her age". Just then the opened to reveal Ren wearing a black and red t-shirt with a gold outline, and the golden Hōjō symbol on the right sleeve as well as a larger one on the back with black pants.

"Thank you Lord Ujiyasu and Lady Suikeiin for everything your doing for me", Ren said as he bowed to them. Seeing Ren like that ,Suikeiin couldn't help but lovingly hug him like he was one of her own children. At that moment Ren felt something that he never felt before and quickly relaxed into the hug. When Suikeiin let go she looked at him with bright eyes and said,"Ren how about you stay with us from now on and join our family, what do you say?". Ren was baffled. He had never been treated so nice in his life, nor had anyone ever wanted him around, but now suddenly these two people actually want him to become family. It's true that he truly liked Ujiyasu and Suikeiin, they both were very kind and for the first time in his life he actually felt like he had parents who cared about him. Tears began flowing out of his eyes as he said,"T-Thank you, no ones ever treated so nice before, I really don't want to cause you any trouble". Ujiyasu then smiled and said,"Well then Ren Hōjō, welcome to the family". Ren couldn't stop crying tears of joy for a while as Suikeiin held until he stopped.

After Ren calmed down Suikeiin said,"Well now that we're family, you should meet your siblings". At that moment five boys walked into the room. "Hi i'm Ujimasa! Nice to meet you!", the oldest boy spoke enthusiastically. "I'm Ujiteru! If there's anything you need, you can count on me", declared the second oldest boy with confidence in his voice. The third boy friendly said,"I'm Ujikuni! I heard so much about you from father". The fourth boy stepped up and shyly said,"H-Hi, I'm Ujinori. I really hope we can get along". Then the youngest boy with short brown hair happily said,"Wow you're my new brother? You look so cool! I'm Saburo!". Ren happily greeted them all with a smile until he saw a small figure hiding behind Suikeiin."Come on Hayakawa, it's rude to not introduce yourself to your new brother", she softly said with a smile. The girl then slowly revealed herself from behind her mother. She had long black hair with a small red ribbon on the left side of her hair and a small blue ribbon on the back, sky blue eyes that matched her kimono and a shy expression on her face. "H-Hi, I-I'm Hayakawa", she said shyly. "U-Um, hi I'm Ren. It's really nice to meet you", he said with a blush on his face. He had never felt this way before around anybody and did not understand why he felt so embarrassed around her.

"So hey do you want to play with me?", Hayakawa asked with hope in her eyes. "Um yeah, that sounds fun", he replied. Hayakawa them smiled brightly as she grabbed his hand and dragged him along. "Hey wait for us", Ujimasa said cheerfully as he and his brothers ran after them. As he was running with Hayakawa, Ren was feeling many new feeling that he had never felt before. "(So this is what a family is like)", he thought with a smile and warm feeling in his heart. As he looked around at his new siblings he had one thought in mind,"(I never want to lose this feeling, and I don't want any pain to come to these amazing people)". He opened his eyes with a new determined look,"(No matter happens what I will protect what matters)".

 **Alright guys, there it is the first chapter and in case your wondering the kids from oldest to youngest are- Ujimasa-12, Ujiteru-10, Ujikuni-9, Ujinori-8, Ren-7, Hayakawa-7, Saburo-5. Yes I know Ujiyasu had more kids but their not gonna be in the story since they are not that important and I just don't feel like it. I'm gonna try to upload a new chapter every 1-2 weeks but we'll see. The next chapter will be about Ren bonding with his new family, particularly Hayakawa and then we'll get to the battles so stay tuned for the next chapter of Bonds of the Hōjō! EpicZL out.**


	2. New Bonds, Way of the Hōjō

**Alright guys here it is. Chapter 2 of Bonds of the Hōjō. I really appreciate the feedback and reviews that you guys l left for me, it really helps me out a lot. Oh yeah in case you guys are wondering, Ren's weapon will be like Naomasa Ii's swift steel blade except that the handle will be black with a red outline, and the gold Hōjō symbol will be on the blade. His moveset will be like Naomasa's with a few differences. His appearance will be like in the picture above but we'll get to that in the next chapter. So now without further ado, please enjoy chapter 2.**

Chapter 2: New Bonds, Way of the Hōjō

(Odawara Castle training grounds, Kanto)

"Ahhh!", yelled Ujiteru as he was knocked down to the ground. As he recovered a long wooden spear was held up to his face. "Sorry you lose big brother", Ren said with a smiled as he lowered his weapon and held out his hand for Ujiteru. "Your just too good Ren! you've easily beaten all of us now", he said as he took Ren's hand. Ujimasa, Ujikuni, Ujinori, Hayakawa, and Saburo all looked in amazement as Ren had won. It had been about a week since Ren was adopted into the Hōjō, and he had become quite accustomed to living here. He and all his brothers were training together while Hayakawa and Saburo were watching on the side. With Ujiteru's defeat, that makes Ren the strongest out of all the siblings

"Wow big brother Ren is so strong!", Saburo yelled as he sat next to Hayakawa who was also amazed by her new brothers skill. "Impressive young master", spoke a man approaching the children. That man was Tsunashige Hōjō, the famed Warrior in Yellow, who was also in charge of training the kids. He had yellow and purple armor with a yellow scarf around his neck that had the Hōjō symbol on it. He also had a horned headband that covered his forward, and had his grey hair tied into a small pony tail on top of his head as well as a small mustache. "At this rate you'll surpass both me and your father in no time young master", he spoke proudly. "Thank you very much master Tsunashige, but I have a long way to go before I can match you or Father", he said humbly. Tsunashige had met Ren several days ago and he instantly took a liking to the boy for both his kind personality as well as his skill and dedication to his training. "Well anyway, I think that should be good for today, you're free to do whatever you want for the rest of the day", Tsunashige said.

As Ren was putting his training spear away, Hayakawa walked up to him and asked,"Um Ren, I was wondering if you want to go around the town with me". "Yeah sure. Sounds fun!", Ren said with a smile. In the past week Ren had gotten very close with his sibling but he had grown especially close to Hayakawa. Hayakawa's face lit up at his reponse and she quickly grabbed his hand and led him into the castle.

Inside the castle, Ujiyasu and Suikeiin were peacefully drinking tea and talking until they heard Hayakawa running in while dragging along Ren by his hand. "Father, Mother! Ren and I will be going around the town for a bit okay?", she said with a bright smile. "Okay dear, just don't stay out too late alright?", Suikeiin said. Hayakawa cheered as she ran outside followed by Ren. "Those two sure are getting along well", Suikeiin said with a smirk before looking at Ujiyasu. "You anticipated this didn't you?", she asked with a devious smile. "Heh who knows?", Ujiyasu siad as he took a sip of his tea. As he finished he looked outside and said," Oi Kotaro! I need you to go keep an eye on those two. At that moment as if out thin air a ninja appeared beside Ujiyasu. He was tall with red hair, and full black ninja armor. His skin was oddly gray with red marks underneath his eyes. "So I'm a babysitter now, Ujiyasu?", Kotaro said playfully with his usual devious smile. "Just go already, damn ninja", Ujiyasu said as Kotaro vanished. "Come on, admit dear you trust him a lot don't you? Why else would you have him look after our kids?", Suikeiin said with a smile. Ujiyasu could only grunt at her sentence before going back to drinking his tea.

(Central Odawara, Kanto)

The town of Odawara was bustling with life as usual. It was still a bit of a strange feeling for Ren, who was still not used to being able to freely roam around the city or anywhere else for that matter. His father had first taken him around the town about a week ago which had been a completely new experience for the boy. What surprised him the most was how kind the common people were, and how well they got along with the samurai. Typically the samurai would view peasants as lesser beings due to status bit here in Kanto, there was no such thing. Everybody treated everybody as family and always looked after one another. Ren instantly liked the place as soon as he saw it and has since become much more accustomed to the people.

"Hey Ren are you okay?, Hayakawa said as she noticed her brother lost in thought. Ren snapped out of his thoughts and remembered what he had been doing." Yeah i'm fine Hayakawa, so what did you want us to do together?", he asked happily. "I was thinking we could play around the town today, and maybe go to the lotus pond together later", Hayakawa said with a smile. "Yeah sounds fun!", he said as he gave her a big cheery smile. Hayakawa then looked away and blushed at his smile. She couldn't understand why it is that she felt so strange around him sometimes. A few days after they had first met, Hayakawa had started feeling strange whenever she was around him. One part of her wanted to keep being around him more, and another felt embarrassed whenever he was nearby. Ren looked at her with a questioned expression on his face before she shook her head and started leading him around the town. On the way an old lady in front of her shop greeted the two children. "Oh young master, my lady! It's nice to see the two of you out together". she said happily. Hayakawa and Ren greeted the woman with a smile before Hayakawa said, "Yes, Ren and I are planning on going around the town today". The old woman could only give a sweet smile while saying, "You two just look so cute together!". Both Ren and Hayakawa started turning as red as tomatoes and looked away from each other the moment she said that. "Oh I'm just teasing you two. Here, why don't you take these for later", she said as she handed them a bag full of meat buns. "Thank you so much!", they both said as took the bag and started running off. The woman couldn't help but think of how cute they looked together.

(Odawara Castle Outskirts, Kanto)

After several hours of playing around the town, the two kids decided to have a little picnic in the forest with the meat buns they receiced earlier. "Ahh! What a fun day, I'm really glad you were with me today Ren!", Hayakawa said while getting the meat buns out. "Yeah! Let's do this again sometime Hayakawa!", Ren said as he sat down next to her. As they were about to take a bite from their lunch, they heard a loud scream. "What was that?", Hayakawa said startled. "Sounds like someones in danger. We should go check it out", Ren said as he and Hayakawa began running towards the direction of the screaming. The two of them eventually reached a clearing in the forest and they were quite surprised by what they saw. It was a young girl about their age with long brown hair and red training gear on. In front of her was a large bear looking angry and ready to strike. Ren quickly grabbed a long, sturdy stick and jumped in front of the girl while Hayakawa helped her get up. "I have to get it's attention long enough for Hayakawa to get that girl away from here", thought Ren as he prepared to face the bear.

The bear suddenly started charging at Ren with great speed. "Is he stupid? Theres no way he can actually be thinking about fighting that thing!", the girl exclaimed as she was taken to a safe spot by Hayakawa. "Don't worry, my brother is really strong, I'm sure he can handle it", Hayakawa said reassuringly, but couldn't help but be a little worried about him. As the bear charged, Ren rolled to the side and quickly jabbed the bear in it's front leg which sent the bear tumbling. At that moment Tsunashige's words from their previous training sessions resonated through his head, "(Always be aware of your opponent's movements, and use that to your advantage)". Ren began looking at the bear's body movements to predict it's next attack. With a fierce roar, it got up on two legs and prepared to strike Ren with it's sharp claws. Ren saw that the bear had exposed it's abdomen and thought, "(Now!)". With that thought Ren quickly lunged forward and gave two powerful jabs with his branch directly into it's abdomen. Doing sent the bear stumbling back and disoriented, and with that Ren took the opportunity to give one powerful strike to the side of it's head. Ren then jumped back and prepared for the next attack as the bear recovered. It gave Ren a hard look before it decided to turn around, and began walking away. Ren gave a sigh of relief as he dropped his stick and began walking towards Hayakawa and the girl.

"Wow that was amazing!", the girl said with a blush. "(Ren is so strong)", Hayakawa thought as her face had a massive blush as well. "That was pretty tiring, and no thanks to you Kotaro", Ren said as he looked up at the ninja sitting on a branch above the them. "Hehe where's the fun in that?", he said playfully. Ren had met Kotaro two days after he first came to the Hōjō, at first Kotaro made him feel really uneasy, but after a few days Ren started getting used to him and has even been able to tell whenever he is around. Ren gave a sigh and ignored him as he walked up to Hayakawa and the girl. "So anyway what's your name and what were you doing out here?", Ren asked. "My name is Kai and I was out here training before that bear came out of nowhere and attacked me!", she replied. Ren thought for a minute before he realized something and said, "Wait you're Kai, as in master Ujinaga's daughter?". Ujinaga Narita was a general who served the Hōjō that Ren had met several days before, and he once talked about having a daughter their age that he would like to introduce to them sometime.

"Wait, how do you know my father?", she asked with a questioning look. She then took a good look at the two and noticed the symbols on their clothes. "W-W-Wait! You two are from the Hōjō?!", she asked with suprise. "Yes I'm Hayakawa and this is my brother Ren", she said with a smile. "EEEHHHHH?!", Kai screamed which caused Kotaro to laugh from his spot. "My Lady, My Lord, please forgive me for causing you so much trouble!", Kai said as she bowed to them. "H-Hey it's no big deal, we're just glad that you're alright", Ren said, as he tried to reassure her. "You two are so nice...", Kai said as she was amazed by their kindness. Then at that moment the three heard a grumbling sound. Kai then blushed with embarrassment and said, "I'm sorry, guess I forgot to eat". The three then laughed before two more grumbling sounds were heard. "Oh guess we forgot to eat too", Ren said as he remembered that he and Hayakawa were interrupted before they could eat. Hayakawa then got and idea and said, "Hey Kai, how about eating together with us over there". "Sounds great! Lets go!", Kai said as she followed them.

"These are amazing!", Kai said as she mowed down the meat buns together with Ren and Hayakawa. The three of them were happily eating and chatting together until they heard someone call out, "Kai! Kai! Where are you?!". A man then walked into the clearing and up to the kids. "Kai! Thank goodness your alright!", he said as he saw Kai. This man was Ujinaga Narita, retainer of the Hōjō and father of Kai. He then noticed the siblings and said, "Young master! My lady! Did my daughter cause you any trouble?". "Not at all. We actually had a lot of fun together", Hayakawa said smiling at him. "Yeah all three of us are friends now!", Kai exclaimed with a smile as she held out her first to them. Each smiled as they all bumped fists together at the same time, consolidating their friendship. "Oh I'm so glad Kai has friends. I know she is a tomboy and can have trouble getting along with people sometimes", Ujinaga said delighted about their friendship. "Father!", Kai yelled while embarrassingly looking down. Ujinaga looked up to see the sun setting then said, "Well it's getting late, we should go home Kai. Young master, my lady, please take care getting home". As Ujinaga and Kai started walking home, Kai rhen turned around and yelled, "Hey Ren! Next time I'll take down a bear myself alright?". Ujinaga then gave a confused look before realizing, "Wait, Bear?!". The three kids then started laughing while thinking about how they would never forget this day.

(Later that night)

"Wow you fought off a bear!", Saburo exclaimed after hearing Ren and Hayakawa's story. The whole family was sitting together in a room as Ren and Hayakawa told everybody about their day. "Heh sounds like you had a fun day with Ujinaga's kid", Ujiyasu said as he smoked from his pipe. His wife on the other hand was not as pleased as her husband. "Do you know how dangerous that was? You two kids need to stay out of trouble more", Suikeiin said seriously. "We're really sorry...", the two kids said as they both looked down. "But, I suppose that was impressive, and I'm really glad you saved that girl", she said with a warm smile. The two kids them smiled at their mother's words. "Alright kids, it's getting late. You all go take a bath and get some sleep", Suikeiin said to all the kids. Ujimasa and the other kids looked disappointed as they said, "Aww! But we want to hear more".

Later Ren was lying on the futon in his room unable to get any sleep. He couldn't stop thinking about everything that had happened in the last week. Losing his old family, meeting Ujiyasu, Suikeiin, Hayakawa and all his other siblings, fighting a bear and meeting Kai. It all felt like a dream that he didn't want to wake up from. "(Man, I can't get any sleep, I should go and get some fresh air)", He thought as he got up and started heading outside.

(Odawara Lotus Pond, Kanto)

When Ren reached the Lotus Pond, he was surprised to see Hayakawa there looking over the water. "Oh Ren, you couldn't sleep either?", she asked as he walked up to her. He looked at their reflection in the water before saying, "Yeah it's just that so much has happened since I came here". "Yeah it really has, but you know Ren, I really happy that I met you", she said with a big smile on her face. Ren blushed at her words before smiling and saying, "I'm really lucky to have met you and everyone here". The two of them then heard footsteps and were suprised to see Saburo walking up to them. "Brother, Sister I thought I might find you here". "Saburo what are you doing here?", Ren asked. "First I saw sister walking outside, then I saw you leaving too so I thought I would go to check it out what you guys were doing", Saburo replied.

"So hey Big Brother, how about you train with me?", Saburo asked with enthusiasm in his voice. "Wait, Now?", Ren asked surprised, as he looked up at the night sky. "Yeah! I want to be strong like you brother sonI can help our clan!", Saburo said with fierce determination in his eyes. "Don't forget about us!", a voice exclaimed. Walking towards the trio was Ujimasa, Ujiteru, Ujikuni and Ujinori, all with determined looks on their faces. "And don't forget about me", Hayakawa said pulling on his shirt. "You guys...", Ren said with a soft smile on his face. "All right then, let's do this!", Ren said determined as he raised his fist in the air. Up above in the Odawara Castle main keep, Ujiyasu and Suikeiin looked down at the Lotus Pond to see their children training together. They both had smiles on their faces while thinking of the bright future their children and their clan had. As Ren was training with his siblings he couldn't help but think of how lucky he was. "(Father, Mother, Hayakawa, Brothers, I will do whatever I can for you all and for the Hōjō!)".

(9 years later)

(Mt. Kasuga Castle, Echigo)

A large army with soldiers clad in white armor stood ready. Four people were in front of the army preparing to head out. The first was a woman with long black hair while wearing a long white robe and holding a long staff. The second was a man with white armor, talismans on his belt, a wide sword, and a large helmet with a golden Love kanji on it. The third was a large muscular man with a long scar acroos his face. In his hands are two massive blades the size of a normal person. In front of them all was a tall man with a fierce aura around him. He possessed a white coat on top of his battle armor, and a purple headpiece somewhat resembling like a monk. In his hand was a large sword with smaller blades sticking out.

"Ahh, I anticipate another glorious battle", the man in front said. He then raised his blade in the air and shouted, "Men advance! Let our blades of righteousness claim victory in battle!". With that the large army started their advance, with the sound of the roaring steps of their horses resonating throughout the area. "Let's see how the Lion and his children fight their battles. We make for Odawara Castle!"

 **And thats chapter two guys. The fun is just beginning cuz we're gonna get into our first battle next time. Again plz leave a review on what you think and look forward to the next chapter of Bonds of the Hōjō! EpicZL out!**


	3. The God of War Descends

**Here we go, chapter 3! Just in case you're wondering now, after the timeskip from the last chapter their ages are now- Ujimasa-21, Ujiteru-19, Ujikuni-18, Ujinori-17, Ren-16, Hayakawa-16, Kai-16, Saburo-15. So now this will be our first battle and Ren's appearance will be like the image above if not a little younger and his weapon description is in the previous chapter. Alright guys without further ado enjoy chapter 3!**

Chapter 3: The God of War Descends, The Great Kanto Defense

(Odawara Castle Rice Fields, Kanto)

"Ahh finally rice planting season!", Ujimasa exclaimed as he looked over the rice paddies from a nearby hill. "Yeah this means that the fighting should be over for a while, and people can finally get some peace", Ujiyasu said while he sitting under a sakura tree. Next to him was standing was Ren, Saburo, Ujiteru, and Ujikuni who were watching Hayakawa anf Kai train together. "Come on Kai, come at me with everything you've got!", Hayakawa said determined. "B-But my lady, what if I end up hurting you?", Kai said worriedly. "Don't worry Kai, if I want to get stronger then I need to push myself. Come on!", Hayakawa said raising her wooden training sword. "Alright then, here I come my lady!", Kai yelled as she charged at Hayakawa with her sword ready. Kai launched a powerful blow that Hayakawa was able to block. After a short stalemate Kai gave an upward slash that knocked Hayakawa's sword in the air and sent Hayakawa stumbling back. "My lady! Hayakawa!", Kai and Ren both said panicked. "Don't worry, I'm alright", Hayakawa said as she recovered. She then smiled and took Kai's hand. "You're really strong Kai! This is for you", Hayakawa said as she put something in Kai's hand. Kai opened her hand to reveal a light blue paper swan that matched Hayakawa's eyes. "My lady... I love it!", she said happily.

Ren couldn't help but be happy about how close they were. After they met Kai nine years ago, the three became inseparable after knowing each other for so long. Ren was really grateful to her for helping Hayakawa become more confident and for training together with her so much. Ren snapped out of his thoughts when he heard someone yelling, "Father! Father!". It was Ujinori who ran up to Ujiyasu and said, "Father! Bad news! The Uesugi are attacking us!". Ujiyasu then stood up and calmly said, "Heh, has he come to say goodbye? How thoughful of him". Everyone then began walking toward the castle to prepare for battle. "Come on my lord, my lady, let's protect your family together!", Kai said determined. "Hehe don't forget Kai, you're part of our family too". Ren then smiled and said, "Yeah with all of us working together, there's no way we can lose". Kai then stood there surprised. She then noticed them walking off and said, "W-Wait! My lady, my lord, did you really mean that?!".

Odawara Castle Main Keep, Kanto)

"All right men, the plan is simple. We just need to send that fool and his men packing so let's show him what we do best. Defend our home!", Ujiyasu said with all his men gathered together. "Ren, Hayakawa, Saburo, and Kai, this will be your first battle so I want each of you with someone", He said as he looked at them. "Tsunashige, you're with Ren, I want you two to defend the Secondary Ward", Ujiyasu said looking at Tsunashige. The veteran then smiled and said, "Young master, I'm honored to fight along side you in your first battle". Ren smiled back as he said, "No the honors all mine, I just hope I don't slow you down master Tsunashige". "Saburo, you're with Ujiteru, I need you two to protect the Defensive Ward". The two brothers then looked at each and Ujiteru said, "Yeah! Let's show those Uesugi what the Hōjō can do!". "Hayakawa, Boy, I want you two with Ujinaga to deal with any enemies that get into the Lotus Pond", He said to the three. "I'm not a boy!", Kai yelled angrily as everyone in the room laughed. "Alright men, let's send those Uesugi fools packing!". Ujiyasu said as everyone cheered.

As Ren was putting on his light battle armor, he had many thoughts going through his head. "So this is it huh? My first battle, I really hope that I can be of help to Father". Ren then snapped out of his thoughts as he felt someone poke his back. He turned around to see Hayakawa, Kai, and Saburo all smiling at him. "Are all you guys feeling anxious too?", Ren asked. "Of course we are, but as long as we work together, we can take on anything!", Kai said confidently. "Yeah you're right, just don't do anything reckless alright?", Ren said. They then looked over to see Suikeiin walking up to them. "Mother is something wrong?", Hayakawa asked. She could only at them as she pulled all four of them into a big hug. "You four are growing up so fast, it's kind of sad actually. But I'm proud that all of you are working so hard for Ujiyasu", she said happily. "Just make sure you all make it back home together all right? You too Kai, don't forget that you're family too", Suikeiin said as she released them from the hug. "My lady... Yes I promise!", Kai said with tears in her eyes. "All right you kids, go and show them how strong our family is", she said with a strong determination. "As everyone was cheering Hayakawa walked up to Ren and said, "Ren please take care okay?". Ren gave her a soft look and said, "Yeah I will, you and Kai stay safe too alright". She nodded while Saburo, Kai, and Suikeiin had devious smiles on their face.

(Odawara Castle Secondary Ward, Kanto)

(Play Odawara Castle-Hōjō)

"Hm, this will be a difficult battle indeed" ,Tsunashige said wih a sigh after seeing the enemy forces. The Hōjō were greatly outnumbered and the Uesugi had even made it inside the castle. "Yeah and it seems that all the Hōjō's enemies in Kanto are helping them. Satake, Satomi, Utsunomiya, Ota... they're all here", Ren said after seeing all the different banners in the enemy forces. "Young master, you're surprisingly calm considering this is your first battle", he said as he looked over at Ren. Ren then smiled and calmly said, "Well it's because I believe in Father and the Hōjō's bonds, not to mention you're here Master Tsunashige". At that moment a messenger ran up them and said, "Urgent news! The Uesugi have broken though Akagane Gate!". "Wait that means that means that the Defensive Ward was taken?", Tsunashige said shocked. "No the Lord Ujiteru and Lord Saburo are still holding out but they're surrounded", the messenger said. "The Uesugi are coming here to the Secondary Ward before they've even captured the Defensive Ward? It seems that they are rushing things", Ren said observently. It makes sense since the Takeda could move at any second, so Kenshin wants to claim victory as quickly possible", Tsunashige replied. As the sounds of loud footsteps could be heard Tsunashige and Ren held their weapons up, ready for battle.

"Here they come Young Master! Be ready!", Tsunashige said as the enemy troops came in sight. Before stood tens of soldiers clad in the Uesugi white armor but one man stood out from the rest. He possessed red armor with green outlines and a tall red helmet. On his back the symbol of the Ota clan, as well as a long black moustache on his face. "So this is the best the Hōjō can muster? An old man and a greenhorn", the man said smugly. "Lord Sukemasa, we shouldn't underestimate them. That's Tsunashige Hōjō, the Warrior in Yellow, one of the Hōjō's finest warriors and the other is one of Ujiyasu's sons", one of his men told him. "Oh so you're Sukemasa Ota, I've heard about you", Ren said almost sarcastically. "Oh so you've heard of me? Well of course! Who hasn't heard of the mighty Sukemasa!", he said while waving his spear around. "Yeah I heard about all the times my father beat you and sent you packing from Kanto", he said mockingly. Sukemasa's face turned red with rage as he yelled, "you damn brat, I'll kill you here and now then I'll send your father right after you!". With that he charged at Ren with his spear and tried to stab him in the chest. Ren saw through his attack and sidestepped him with ease afterwards he delivered a strong punch to Sukemasa's stomach that disoriented him. Ren then quickly slashed him diagonally across his chest. Sukemasa's eyes then widened with surprise as blood dripped out of his mouth. "I-I can't believe this.. beaten by a greenhorn in his first battle. That damn Ujiyasu's son no less", Sukemasa said as he collapsed with blood pooling around him. "This is going to take a bit to get used to", Ren said as blood was dripping off his blade. "Well either way, enemy officer defeated", he said calmly as he flicked the blood the Hōjō symbol on his blade. "(Incredible Young Master... defeating a known general so easily in your first battle, It's amazing how much you've grown)", Tsunashige thought as he watched Ren. He recalled the days when he would train Ren and his siblings back when they were children. Now looking at all of them fighting for their home and family, he had never felt happier.

"Master Tsunashige!", Ren said loudly which snapped Tsunashige out of his thoughts. When he looked at Ren, he was surprised to see all the enemy troops slain. "Master Tsunashige did you hear me? I said I'm going to check on the supply troops to see what's taking them so long. Can you handle things here in case more enemies arrive?", Ren asked seriously. "No problem young master! I won't let a single soul past me!", Tsunashige said confidently. With that Ren began running toward the Lotus Pond in order to get to the Northeastern Ward, where the supply soldiers were supposed to be coming from.

(Odawara Castle Lotus Pond, Kanto)

When Ren reached the Lotus Pond he was surprised to be greeted be countless Uesugi soldiers. "Hm, looks like Hayakawa and the others still haven't taken back the Lotus Pond yet. I can't afford to waste any time with these guys, I have to get to the supply soldiers", he said as he readied his blade. He them suddenly felt chills as a woman walked in front of the soldiers. "Oh, a young warrior with spiked black hair and a short spear with the Hōjō symbol. So you're the one who killed Sukemasa and his men", the woman spoke calmly. "(What is going on with this woman? My instincts are screaming at me to run)", Ren thought as he studied the woman before him. "What a good young boy, helping his father. It's a shame but I'm afraid I must defeat you here", she said as she began walking towards him with her staff held up. "Damn it, it looks like I have no choice but to fight", Ren said as he held up his weapon.

As they were about to fight they both turned around when they heard, "AAGH!". They turned around to see Kai, Hayakawa and several Hōjō soldiers with several Uesugi men on the ground defeated. "Ren! What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be protecting the Secondary Ward?", Hayakawa asked worriedly. "I'm on my way to the supply troops to see what's holding them, but I have to hurry because we need to help Ujiteru and Saburo as soon as possible", Ren said. "Alright then it's settled! Lord Ren, you go help the supply soldiers while my lady, you and I will deal with things here!", Kai said determinedly. "Alright I'll leave things to you guys, but be careful. There's something strange about this woman. It's like she has some kind of power that she's hiding", He said cautiously before he started running toward the Northeastern Ward. "Oh? Could he sense my Musou? How impressive for someone so young to be able feel it even though I haven't used it yet. I guess he really is that old dog's son after all", She thought amusingly. "Well then I Aya will show you all the power of the love of the Uesugi", she said as a light blue aura appeared around her body and weapon.

(Odawara Castle Northeastern Ward, Kanto)

"W-We're surrounded...", a supply soldier said as he and the rest of the soldiers were completely encircled by Uesugi forces. "We can't give up! We need to get to the hungry soldiers that are fighting so hard for our home!", one of them said refusing to give up. They had been surrounded by a large group of Uesugi soldiers led by two officers. The first was an older man named Saneyori Honjō and the second was Yatarō Onikojima, a man with large scar around his cheek with a metal headpiece that covered his forhead. "Lord Kenshin was right about the supplies being here, Let's take them out then we can charge the Main Keep with our lord", Saneyori said. Yatarō nodded in agreement as they both unsheathed their swords and starting closing in on the supply soldiers.

Just as they were about to strike the Hōjō soldiers, they heard a body hit the ground. When the two officers turned around they noticed half of their unit was already on the ground with Ren standing in front of them. "Who is that?", Yatarō said surprised as he couldn't believe a kid just took out most of his unit. "Lord Ren! Thank goodness you're here!", one of the supply soldiers said happily. "Either way, he is skilled to say the least, take caution Yatarō", Saneyori said. "He just caught us by surprise, thats all. He's just a kid, lets show him how fierce we Uesugi are! Everyone attack!", Yatarō yelled as he charged with his men. Rem quickly rushed forward and in a single slash, five of their soldiers were sent flying back. Ren then quickly jumped into the center of their formation and before any of them could react, he had slashed them all in a full circle. With that Yatarō and Saneyori could only stare in shock as they were the only ones left. "You guys get going, everyone is really counting on you to get those supplies to the troops. I'll handle things here", Ren said to the supply soldiers. "My Lord... right! Alright men, you heard him, let's go full speed!", a supply soldier said as he dragged the cart of supplies with him. The rest quickly regained their vigor as they all started running after the first one. "Damn it! Their getting away. I won't stand here and be humiliated by this damn kid, I'm known as a demon for a reason and I'm going to show you why kid!, "Yatarō yelled as he charged Ren. He launched a barrage of slashes with his sword which Ren was able to block each time. "(This guy's pretty strong, definitely better than anyone else I've fought today, but I can't back down!)", Ren thought as he crossed blades with Yataro. As Yatarō held his sword over his head about to strike, Ren used the chance to strike the sword on it's handle, knocking the sword into the air. Ren then gave swift downward slash with his spear, which gave Yatarō a large gash down his shoulder but would have been more severe had Yatarō not stepped back at the last moment. "Gahh!", Yatarō yelled in pain as he clutched his bleeding shoulder. As Saneyori went to help Yatarō he thought, "(Incredible, Yatarō is one of the best the Uesugi have to offer. If he can't defeat this one then certainly have no chance)". "Yatarō we should retreat for now, we can't afford any more losses", Saneyori said as he helped Yatarō up. "Damn..", Yatarō said weakly as they both fled. "Whew, we'll that's settled now. I should get back to the Secondary Ward then help Ujiteru and Saburo". A messenger then ran up to Ren with a troubled look on his face. "L-Lord Ren, urgent news! Kenshin Uesugi has passed though Akagane Gate is headed towards the Main Keep!", the messenger said gravely. "What?!", Ren exclaimed. "(Master Tsunashige is there, he's strong but I don't know if he can handle a man renowned as the God of War", Ren thought as he started running toward the Secondary Keep.

(Odawara Castle Main Keep, Kanto)

"Hehe, looks like the Uesugi are really causing a lot of chaos around here", Kotaro said amusingly as he stood next to Ujiyasu and Ujimasa. "That damn fool, at this rate my land with be in shambles", Ujiyasu said as he held onto his large cane which also functioned as a rifle and had a sword inside(God I love his weapon). "Father what should we do?", Ujimasa asked worriedly. "Well it looks like we have no choice, Kotaro let's head out and cause some of that chaos you enjoy so much", Ujiyasu said as a powerful blue auro appeared around him and his weapon. "Oh? The lion is heading out himself? Well then this should be fun", Kotaro said with a smile as he too was enveloped by a blue aura. "Alright then, time to send these fools on their way back to Echigo", Ujiyasu said as Ujimasa was stunned by the sight before him.

(Odawara Castle Secondary Ward, Kanto)

The sound of countless blades fiercely clashing could be heard echoing throughout the Ward. Ome would think that two large armies were facing each other there, but in reality there were only two men fighting one another in a fierce struggle. One of the warriors was Tsunashige who was holding his ground well with his spear, but was still struggling against his opponent. The other was a fierce looking man with a purple headpiece with a white cloak on his armor wielding a large sword with many spikes on it. This man was none other than Kenshin Uesugi, who was still fighting atop his horse and he fought with such ferocity that Tsunashige was struggling to keep up. Eventually their fierce battle reached its end when Tsunashige's spear was knocked into the air.

"Gah!", Tsunashige grunted as he was sent flying against a wall from Kenshin's fierce blow. "You have fought well, Warrior in Yellow but your time has come", Kenshin said as held his blade up, ready to deliver the final blow. "I can see why you're regarded as the God of War and the Dragon of Echigo. Well at least it took Kenshin Uesugi himself to kill me", Tsunashige said weakly as he was prepared to accept his fate. "That is a good way of looking at your death, your valor and loyalty shall not be forgotten", Kenshin said before his blade descended upon Tsunashige. Just as the blade was about to strike Tsunashige, it hit something else. As Tsunashige opened his eyes, he was surprised to see a familiar looking blade in front of his face that had collided with Kenshin's sword. "Y-Young Master?", Tsunashige asked surprised. Ren then swung his blade with all his power which Kenshin was able to block but the force of the attack knocked him off his horse. "Young Master, you must get out of here, you're no match for him", Tsunashige said with worry. "No way Master Tsunashige, you're family too, and the Hōjō always protect our family", Ren said with a smile. "Young Master...", Tsunashige said surpised. "Young Warrior, state your name", Kenshin said with excitement at the coming battle. "I am Ren Hōjō, adopted son of Ujiyasu Hōjō. As long as I stand, I won't let you harm my family and home any longer!", Ren said determined. "Hehe, this should be most interesting indeed", Kenshin said as blue aura appeared around his body. "Very well then! Come young Hōjō, Show me what you are capable of!"

 **And there it is! Can Ren defeat Kenshin? Can Hayakawa and Kai defeat Aya? Can they reach Saburo and Ujiteru in time? What is Musou? Can I get Ujiyasu's weapon in real life? Find out next time on Bond's of the Hōjō! EpicZL out!**


	4. Fierce Clash, Soar Young Dragon!

**EpicZL here! Sorry it took me so long guys, I've been really busy these past few weeks, but don't worry I'll be back on schedule for the next chapter. Anyway battles heating up, things getting exciting around here. You'll get to find out what Musou is in this fanfic and just how important it is. And now without further ado enjoy chapter 4!**

Chapter 4: Fierce Clash, Soar Young Dragon!

(Odawara Castle Secondary Ward, Kanto)

(Play Odawara Castle-Hōjō)

Ren couldn't help but sweat as he got in battle position. It was no wonder considering who he was up against, Kenshin Uesugi, the God of War and Dragon of Echigo. "(Just what is this guy? I feel a stronger pressure around him than even that woman from before)", Ren thought as he saw the fierce aura around Kenshin. Kenshin then charged at Ren with his sword ready, which Ren was able to block. The force of the blow however was too strong and he was sent back several feet away. "(His strength is unbelievable! How am I suppose to fight this guy?)", Ren thought as he recovered from the attack. "Hm, you are quite skilled boy, however you are still lacking something crucial and without it, I'm afraid you won't be able to defeat me", Kenshin said as he eyed Ren. "I'm missing something?", Ren said confused. "Yes and without it, you are going to die here", Kenshin said as flames appeared in his hand which greatly shocked him. Kenshin then moved his hand as if he were praying which caused the flames to disappear. "What is going on?", Ren said before he saw Kenshin raise his sword into the air. Tsunashige saw what was happening and quickly yelled out, "Young Master, get out of there!". However by the time Tsunashige yelled that, Ren didn't have the time to pay attention due to countless fireballs raining down from above.

Ren didn't have any time to be surprised as he quickly evaded many of the flames that were crashing down onto the ground. There were however too many of them and as one was about hit him, he quickly struck it with his blade but the force sent him skidding across the ground. Luckily for him it seemed that those were the last of of the flames. "You withstood that attack magnificently. Most warriors who aren't capable of using Musou would be dead by now", Kenshin said impressed by his opponent. As Ren was on the ground trying to process what had just happened he finally realized something. "Wait a minute... did he just say Musou?"

(Flashback-9 years ago)

 _"Father! Father!", two voices said simultaneously. Ujiyasu was in his room when he heard these voices and looked up to see Ren and Hayakawa running towards him with smiling faces. "Oh, what is it you two?", Uijyasu said as his kids walked up to him. "Father we were reading this book and this word Musou came up several times but we don't understand what it is", Hayakawa said as she held up the book. Ujiyasu grabbed the book and after reading through it he said, "So you want to know about Musou huh? Alright I'll tell you". The two kids then smiled as they sat down in front of him with enthusiasm and anticipation in their eyes._

 _"Alright so first of all Musou is something that very few people possess. It is what you could call the manifestation of a warriors spirit. It manifests itself differently with each person whether it creates some kind of element or weapon or object. One thing everyone has in common though is that it makes the warrior much stronger and formidable". "How does someone achieve it?", Ren asked. "The conditions are unknown since it is different with each person", Ujiyasu said with his pipe in his mouth. "Can you use it father?", Hayakawa asked with intrigue. "Yeah I can but lets wait until you're older before I show you", Ujiyasu said as he pat the two kids on the head._

 _(Flashback end)_

"I see, so thats what has been going on", Ren said as he recalled that memory. "(Then this means that woman from earlier can also use it. I just hope Hayakawa and Kai will be alright)", Ren thought as Kenshin prepared his next attack. He braced himself as he saw a powerful aura resonating from Kenshin that formed what seemed like a larger version of him behind him. "Alright boy. Let's see much you can entertain me", Kenshin said excitably as he charged at Ren.

(Odawara Castle Lotus Pond, Kanto)

Countless Hōjō and Uesugi soldiers could be seen littered all across the area after a fierce battle. Only three figures could be seen still standing in the middle of the Lotus Pond. Hayakawa and Kai were panting heavily after fighting against the woman across from them who was tired in the slightest. "Just what the hell is this woman?", Kai said while panting. "She is... using... Musou", Hayakawa said between breaths as she recalled what her father had told her before. "It's such a shame I have to kill you two here, especially with all the love I feel from the two of you", Aya said with her usual smile. "What are you talking about?", Kai asked as both she and Hayakawa were confused about her words. "I can feel love from anyone but you two have a very strong love compared to others. I wonder if it is for that boy from earlier, he had a similar feeling as well", Aya said as she thought back to her encounter with Ren.

"W-Wait! Hold on! I don't know that you're talking about!"

Y-Yeah! You must be imagining things! Hahahaha!

Both girls could barely contain their blushes and looked down, almost forgetting that they were in the middle of a battle. Hayakawa was surprised that this woman could tell what her feelings for Ren were despite only seeing them once but she was too embarrassed to admit. Kai on the other hand was nervous and frankly scared that this woman knew about her feelings. It is true that she had started developing feelings for Ren after knowing each other for so long but she couldn't bring herself to tell him because she knew about her lady's feelings toward him.

"Well either way I must end this little scuffle of ours. I have important missions I need to complete for my dear Kenshin", Aya said as her Musou appeared around her once more. "We can't beat her like this", Hayakawa said as she raised her weapon. "It doesn't matter! We can't afford to lose her! Yahh!", Kai yelled out as she and Hayakawa charged Aya. As both of their weapons clashed with Aya's staff at the same time, she effortlessly knocked them both away and while Kai was on the ground Aya pointed her staff at her and a bolt of lightning was shot at her. Kai closed her eyes as she saw the attack coming but to her surprise it never hit her. Once she opened her eyes she was horrified to see Lady Hayakawa in front of her who was clearly hurt and was barely able to stay standing. "My lady!", Kai yelled out with panic. "I already told you Kai that you're family too, and I won't let anything happen to my family!", Hayakawa said with determined eyes even though she was clearly hurt. "Very touching but at your level of strength it is very obvious that you can't beat me. I be sure to end this quickly", Aya said as she shot another bolt of lightning at Hayakawa. "My Lady! Get Away!", Kai yelled out as she saw the attack coming. "(Is this it? Am I going to die here?)", Hayakawa thought as the attack drew closer to her. At that moment she felt something strange inside her that she had never felt before. It was like it was telling her to keep fighting and then she began seeing images of her father, mother, Kai, Ren, and her brothers flashing in her mind. "(That's right... I have a lot to fight and live for. I have to win for their sake, for everyone's sake!)"

As the attack was about to hit Hayakawa, both Kai and Aya were greatly surprised when she deflected the attack with her weapon. "Oh...this is quite something", Aya said amused at what she was seeing. "M-My Lady...is that?", Kai asked while staring in awe at the sight before her. Hayakawa and her weapon had a blue aura surrounding them just like Aya did. Hayakawa then looked back at Kai and with determination in her voice she said, "Kai, you and Ren have always been looking out for me and protecting me. But now it's my turn to do the same for you". After she said that she charged at Aya and with her newfound strength she was able to match her. As Kai watched the two of them clash she couldn't help but feel powerless. "Incredible, they're both so strong and My Lady has become so amazing now. I'm suppose to be protecting you but here I am unable to do anything...". Kai then felt a rush of determination pass through her as she forced herself to stand up using her sword as a crutch. "I-I will not give up. I will help protect our family too!", Kai yelled as Musou appeared around her. "Kai! You can use Musou now?!", Hayakawa asked shocked and happy for her friend. "Wait I can? I can! Alright lady, it's time for some payback!", Kai yelled as she began running towards Aya.

All three weapons hit at the exact same time and the three were caught in a stalemate. "I certainly didn't anticipate this happening, but I suppose this is much more fun", Aya said as more lightning came raining down which Kai and Hayakawa were able to jumped away from in time. "W-Wait! How do you use this power?", Kai asked still not fully understanding Musou yet. "Just go with the flow Kai, it feel natural when you do it", Hayakawa said as ice formed in the net of her weapon which she launched at Aya. Aya effortlessly deflected it as she ran towards the two of them. Just before she struck Hayakawa with her staff, she was unable to move her staff. She looked down to see that something was wrapped around the center of it which was Kai's sword that had extended out from her spot like a chain. "Back off", Kai yelled as she used all her force to send Aya up into the air and slammed her down. "Wow that was amazing Kai!", Hayakawa said amazed. "I think I'm getting the hang of this!", Kai said proud of herself. When they saw Aya getting back up the two looked at each as if reading each other's minds. Hayakawa began forming a large amount of ice in her weapon while Kai raised her weapon high above her head. "Take this!", they both yelled simultaneously as Hayakawa launched a large wave of ice while Kai smashed the ground with her sword which caused a geyser like attack straight towards Aya. When the combined attack hit, she struggled to hold the attack back with her staff and the force sent her crashing into a nearby wall which left a large crater where she hit.

"Most impressive. I could truly feel the love within your hearts from that attack", Aya said weakly as she struggled to stand up. She was greatly weakened from their combined attack with several cuts on her as well as a little blood flowing from the side of her mouth. "I suppose I'll retreat for now, but don't worry the fun is just beginning", she said as she whistled out which caused a horse to run up to her. "I'll be looking forward to seeing you all again", Aya said with her usual smile as she got on her and began heading toward the Uesugi Main Camp. "Hey come back here", Kai yelled angrily but Hayakawa stopped her. "Kai we don't have the time. Saburo and Ujiteru need our help remember?", Hayakawa said worried. "Oh right! Let's meet up with Lord Ren and Master Tsunashige then we can go.", Kai said as she and Hayakawa ran toward the Secondary Ward. When the two arrived at the ward they both yelled in surprise as a large wave of fire in the form of a dragon brushed past them.

(Odawara Castle Komine Ward)

"Oi you feel that Kotaro?", Ujiyasu said looking in the direction of the Secondary Ward. "Hehe it seems like yet another Musou user has appeared and from the feel of it a strong one", Kotaro said with his usual amused tone. "It appears to be coming from the Secondary Ward. It can't be Tsunashige or Kenshin because I feel both of them there as well", Ujiyasu said while stroking his chin. "Earlier the puppy and the bear awakened their Musou and they were with that woman from the Uesugi, so that leaves only one potential candidate", Kotaro said already knowing who it was. "Hmm well we'll deal with it later, first we got to save my boys in the Defensive Ward", Ujiyasu said as surveyed the area.

"Alright so heres the plan. We'll advance around the Tertiary Ward and strike the Uesugi by surprise". Ujikuni, who was in charge of defending the Komine Ward, looked at his father with worry and said, "B-But Father, the Tertiary Ward is completely full of enemies, we'll never be able to make it past them!" "Then we'll just have to get lessen the number of officers then. Ujikuni, have the men ly in wait while Kotaro lures some enemies here", Ujiyasu said as Kotaro headed towards the Tertiary Ward.

(Odawara Castle Tertiary Ward, Kanto)

Within the Tertiary Ward stood Masatsuna Sano, a general of the Uesugi who was tasked to stay there until the order came to attack the Komine Ward. He heard something hit the ground and when he turned around he was surprised to see many of his men on the ground defeated, and the one responsible stood right in front of him. "Hehe it seems the Uesugi aren't all that fun to play with, what a pity", Kotaro said mockingly. "How dare you mock the great Uesugi! Men lets teach this Hōjō scum just how strong we are!", Masatsuna yelled as he ran towards Kotaro with countless soldiers following close behind him. "Hehe too easy", Kotaro said as he ran towards the Komine Ward.

(Odawara Castle Komine Ward, Kanto)

"Where are you ninja?!", Masatsuna yelled after he the ninja vanished. Masatsuna' anger quickly turned into surprise as his unti was suddenly surrounded by Hōjō soldiers. "You know you should really look before leap you fool", Ujiyasu said as he appeared behind the Uesugi soldiers. "Ujikuni, I'll leave this up to you. Kotaro, let's go", Ujiyasu said as he began walking towards the Tertiary Ward with Kotaro. "Alright men, let's show the Uesugi how we Hōjō fight our battles!", Ujikuni yelled as he and his men began closing in on the Uesugi.

(Odawara Castle Tertiary Ward, Kanto)

"Where is Masatsuna? He and his men should be here in case we Lord Kenshin gives us an order", Katsunaga Irobe, another general of the Uesugi said noting the lack of troops on the area. "Maybe he went to attack the Komine Ward? But Lord Kenshin hasn't ordered us to move yet", Narishige Yura, the other Uesugi general said stroking his chin. However both general's expressions turned into fear when they heard someone say, "I wouldn't count on him showing up if I were you". They looked in the direction of the voice and they were terrified to see Ujiyasu and Kotaro walking towards them. "I-It's the Lion of Sagami!", Narishige yelled as he and his men pulled out thier weapons. "He's just one man, if we kill him here victory will be ou-", Katsunaga was unable to finish his sentence we a fierce blow to his back knocked him out "Are you sure about that?", Kotaro said after knocking him out. "Damn it!", Narishige yelled as he and his men charged the two. Ujiyasu quickly used his cane to block his sword and sent it flying up. He then used Narishige's moment of confusion to send a strong jab from his cane into Narishige's stomach which knocked all the air out him. As ten enemy soldiers charged up to him to help their general, Ujiyasu gave one powerful swing with his cane that sent them all flying and skidding against the ground defeated.

Meanwhile as countless enemies surrounded Kotaro and all simultaneously charged him, he disappeared and began slashing at all the soldiers with his gauntlets at a speed too fast for any of them to react. The remaining soldiers began running away in fear after witnesses the strength of these two. "Tch, This is almost too easy", Ujiyasu remarked after dealing with the last of the soldiers. "Alright let's keep going, we got to save my idiot sons", Ujiyasu said while running towards the Defensive Ward while effortlessly dealing with any enemies along the way. As he was running he couldn't shake a certain feeling out of his head. "(Whoever the hells Musou that is, I just hope they're on our side)".

(Earlier- Odawara Castle Secondary Ward, Kanto)

Tsunashige had never once felt so useless in his life. There he was on the ground unable to do anything while his lord's son is fighting for his life against one of the most fearsome warriors in all the land. "(The Young Master is skilled without a doubt, but without Musou he can't hope to win against Kenshin)", Tsunashige thought as he mentally cursed himself for not being able to help Ren.

As the battle between Ren and Kenshin dragged on, it was obvious who held the advantage the entire time. Ren was constantly on the defensive trying his best to block and avoid each of Kenshin's Musou powered blows. Eventually the battle reached it's end when one of Kenshin's attacks was too strong for Ren, was sent skidding across the ground on his back. "You have fought well boy. Very few have ever lasted so long against me however I'm afraid that I don't have any more time to waste against you", Kenshin said as he began walking toward Ren, ready to deal the finishing blow.

"Is this really all I can do? I'm sorry everyone...", Ren said weakly as he couldn't muster the strength to get back up. It appeared as though each of Kenshin's steps were moving slower and slower and his vision grew darker each time. Eventually he found himself in complete darkness. "Where am I?". Then darkness then suddenly changed to large burning castle with Ren right in the middle. He looked up at the symbol on the castle wall and instantly knew what it was. "T-This is...the Aizu's castle", Ren said surprised that he was in his former home. "So you remember", a familiar voice said that belonged to a man walking towards Ren from among the flames. Ren had a shocked look on his face when he realized who it was. "F-Father?". The man was Ren's father who was the former head of the Aizu clan before it's downfall.

"It would seem you are in quite a predicament", his father said sternly. "You know if fall here then Odawara will end up just like this castle, although I wouldn't mind actually", The man said with a smirk. Ren had an angry look on his face as he said, "I see you haven't changed a bit. Still every bit as devious and ambitious as you were before. But I guess I should thank you...". The man gave him a questioning look before Ren said, " If it weren't for you being such a selfish bastard, I would have never met such amazing people. The area around them then changed from the burning castle to all of Ren's memories with the Hōjō. "Hm it seems like you have had quite the life since you met them, but the Hōjō are going to meet their end here", his father said while looking around at Ren's memories with Ujiyasu and the others.

"I won't let that happen", Ren said with newfound determination. "Are you sure? Even with the God of War in front of you? Even with no chance of victory?" "I will, I won't allow the Hōjō to suffer the same fate as the Aizu and no matter what I will defend my family!", Ren said strongly as powerful blue aura appeared around him. "Hehe well then if you're that confident then I guess good luck", he said as he faded away.

(Play Naomasa-Faith)

Back to Kenshin, he was standing over Ren with his sword held up ready to strike. "Farewell Young Hōjō", he said as his sword descended on him. However to Kenshin's surprise the sword was caught just before it could reach Ren. Ren had caught the blade with his palms held together just avoiding all the spikes on the sword. Ren then delivered a kick to Kenshin's arm which gave him enough time to get back on his feat and deliver a strong punch to Kenshin's stomach that sent him skidding back a good distance.

As Kenshin was recovering he said, "This power...could it be...". Ren then went over to pick up his weapon which had landed next to Tsunashige. "Y-Young Master, you can use Musou now?", Tsunashige asked with surprise. Ren then gave him a reassuring smile as he picked up his weapon and said, "Don't worry Master Tsunashige, this time I will protect everyone". Kenshin's face was then filled with excitement and anticipation having felt his opponent's newfound strength. "Hehe this battle has just been filled with pleasant surprises, the Hōjō truly don't disappoint, that's for sure".

Ren's weapon was then enveloped with his Musou as he charged at Kenshin. To Ren's surprise and Kenshin's amusement, when the blades clashed, the two were completely equal in strength unlike before. "(So this is the power of Musou)", Ren thought as he was caught in a deadlock with Kenshin. Ren then broke out of the clash and gave a powerful slash that sent Kenshin reeling back even though he had blocked it. "(Ujiyasu has quite an impressive boy. He must be quite proud)", Kenshin thought while smiling.

After a furious flurry of blades coming from both sides, Ren could tell that he wasn't going to able to defeat Kenshin at his current level of strength. "I need even more power to beat him, please just a little more", Ren said quietly as he clutched the handle of his spear harder. At that moment the temperature in the area increased as fierce flames appeared around Ren. "It's not burning?", Ren said surprised as the flames continued to come out of nowhere around him. "He's constantly getting better as the battle progresses, a truly gifted warrior indeed", Kenshin said to himself as he grew even more excited about Ren's improvement. "I don't care how strong you are, I will never forgive anyone who tries to hurt my family!", Ren yelled as the flames reached a new level of intensity and engulfed his weapon. Kenshin was no longer able to contain his excitement and released all of his Musou, once again a larger form of himself appearing behind him.

"(That technique again. His attacks are much stronger when he's using that. I have to be careful with my timing, unlike him I don't have any experience with my Musou so I can't be reckless here)", Ren thought as he surveyed his enemy. "Very few have ever gotten my blood so hot for a battle before, with your father being one of them, I'm truly impressesd", Kenshin said excitably. Kenshin then rushed at Ren giving him no time to evade which forced him to block the attack. To both of their surprises, once their blades met the flames from Ren's weapon burned even brighter and hotter giving the Ren the edge he needed to push Kenshin back.

"So this is my Musou huh? I can really get used to this", Ren said surprised by his new abilities. "(So his flames grow stronger during a battle. Very well then, let's try a different approach)", Kenshin thought as he charged a massive amount of Musou into his sword. He then slammed his sword into the ground which released all the Musou in a single large wave which headed straight for Ren. Ren blocked the attack however it kept going and began pushing Ren back, who was struggling to hold on.

"I-It's too strong! I can't stop it!", Ren said struggling to hold his ground against the attack. As he was being pushed further and further back, images of his father, mother, Hayakawa, Kai, his brothers, and the people of Kanto began to flash through his head. "That's right...I can't lose here, too much is at stake. There's no way I'm backing down!". Right then Ren's flames all focused into his blade and with it he tried to pierce Kenshin's attack. At that moment all of the flames were released from his blade to form a large wave of flames in the shape of a dragon that slowly pushed back Kenshin's Musou wave. Eventually the dragon completely overcame the wave of Musou and kept going straight at Kenshin. With a large smile Kenshin prepared to face the attack head on, however the force proved to much and it even blew him straight through the Akagane Gate into a wall which caused the dragon to powerfully disperse in a big explosion of flames.

"Did that do it?", Ren said slightly tired from the battle. "Woah! That was amazing Lord Ren!", yelled Kai who ran up to him wih Hayakawa. He immediately noticed something different about the two as they approached him. "Can you two...", Ren asked before Kai interrupted him. "Yeah that's right! My Lady and I sent that lady packing with our new power!". "I'm just glad that you're okay Ren. When we heard that you were fighting Kenshin Uesugi by yourself we got really worried about you", Hayakawa said with worry. "But judging by that incredible attack just now, we didn't have to worry at all", Kai said happily.

Just then they all tensed up when they heard steady footsteps approach them followed by the feeling of an incredible aura. When they turned around, they saw Kenshin walking towards them from Akagane Gate with a smile on his face. Much of his armor had been damaged and scorched from the attack with the left side of his white robe that covered amor from his shoulder to his neck had been burned off. It was clear that he had taken a good amount of damage and was quite hurt by the way he was walking.

"That was a most magnificent attack, If you are this strong already then I look forward to how much greater you can become", Kenshin complimented. Just as Kenshin raised his weapon, an Uesugi messenger ran up to Kenshin to said, "Lord Kenshin! We need you in Main Camp, the Hōjō are pushing us back!". Kenshin then lowered his weapon before saying, "Hm what a pity... I was so looking forward to savoring this battle more". He then climbed on to his horse and prepared to leave however before he did he looked back at them with a smile and said, "I look forward to seeing your growth, Dragon of Kanto". He then rode off through Akagane Gate towards his Main Camp.

"Dragon of Kanto?", Hayakawa said questionly. "Must be a new nickname for you Lord Ren, but wow, I can't believe you actually pushed back Kenshin Uesugi!", Kai exclaimed. "We're just lucky he didn't stay and keep fighting. But this is our chance, we have to go help Ujiteru and Saburo while we can", Ren said.

Tsunashige couldn't believe what he had just seen as he was still on the ground recovering. "Incredible Young Master, to think you are already on this strong. Lord Ujiyasu will be so proud of you", Tsunashige said with a heartwarming smile. "Thank you Master Tsunashige, you can leave the rest to me. You should go and rest, you have done more than enough", Ren said reassuringly. Two Hōjō soldiers then ran up to them and helped Tsunashige up. "Take care you three, alright", Tsunashige said as he headed into the Main Ward with aid of the two soldiers, as the three nodded confidently at him before running towards the Defensive Ward.

(Odawara Castle Defensive Ward, Kanto)

"S-So this is the might of the Uesugi...", Saburo said gravely as he tightly clutched the handle of his sword. "Don't give up Saburo! We have to defend this area no matter what!", Ujiteru told him encouragingly as they fought back to back. Ujiteru wielded a long sword with a rifle on his back while Saburo fought with a normal sword. The two had been completely surrounded by Uesugi soldiers commanded by the generals Shigenaga Honjō and Kagetsuna Naoe. "You two have done well to hold on for so long, however this is the end of the line", Shigenaga said as he prepared to attack. At that moment however, everyone was caught by surprise when there was an explosion that caught most of the soldiers from one side and large flames that took out soldiers from the opposite side.

"Hey boy's, you still alive?", Ujiyasu said lazily as he and Kotaro walked in from the Tertiary Ward where the explosion came from. "Ujiteru, Saburo are you okay?", asked Ren, who ran in with Kai and Hayakawa from the Secondary Ward where the flames had come from. The two brothers could only stare in disbelief, completely forgetting about the enemies in front of them as they tried to process what had just happened. Shigenaga having recovered from the shock, immediately charged at Ren with his sword ready to strike. Ren blocked the attack and at that moment flames appeared on his blade which he used to deflect Shigenaga's sword and then released the flames which sent Shigenaga into a nearby wall with his armor heavily scorched and several burn marks on his face.

Meanwhile Kai and Hayakawa were facing Kagetsuna. Kagetsuna launched a flurry of jabs with his spear which Kai skillfuly dodged each time. Kai then used her sword to extend out like a chain which then wrapped around Kagetsuna's spear and yanked it right out of his hands. Hayakawa then ran up to him with a large amount of ice in the net of her weapon which she used to hit him in his stomach with all her force. Kagetsuna grunted in pain as the ice released itself into a large wave of ice that sent his crashing through a number of his men.

"W-Who are these monsters?! We don't stand a chance, everyone fall back!", a soldier yelled as he ran into the Tertiary Ward followed by the remaining soldiers who were carrying an incapacitated Kagetsuna and Shigenaga with them. "We did it!", Kai exclaimed as she and Hayakawa high fived one another. "Hm looks like you three have grown a lot since the battle started", Ujiyasu said proudly as he walked up to the three. "We have a lot to talk about later but for now we have to send that bastard home first", Ujiyasu said as he looked around. "Father doesn't it seem like the Uesugi are trying to rush this battle. Kenshin Uesugi isn't really one to rush his battles", Ren asked. "You're right, that idiot likes to savor his battles, as he puts it. With the battle dragging on for so long the Takeda are bound to make their move while Kenshin is away, so it makes sense why he's trying to finish this quickly.

"Uh does anyone want to explain what we just saw", Saburo asked anxiously as he nor Ujiteru knew what Musou was. "We'll explain later, for now we have to strengthen our defenses because that fool is definitely not finished yet. Hayakawa and Ujiteru go to the Lotus Pond and have Ujinaga set up riflemen. Boy you go to the Komine Ward and have Ujikuni set up riflemen there as well. Ren and Saburo will stay here and strengthen the Defensive Ward's defenses, and Kotaro keep an eye out for any reinforcements".

"What about you father?", Hayakawa asked. "I'll go back to the Main Ward with Ujimasa just in case that fool manages to make it that far". "Yes my lord!", they all exclaimed as they each headed out to do their given tasks.

(Uesugi Main Camp in Tertiary Ward, Kanto)

"Are you alright Sister?, Kenshin asked Aya who was tending to the wounds she sustained earlier. "It's fine, I just had an interesting encounter with two young ladies. They actually achieved their Musou during the battle, but it seems like you had interesting encounter yourself", she said noting his scorched armor. "Yes, I bore witness to a promising young dragon's awakening", Kenshin said with a smile. Two warriors then ran up to Kenshin before bowing to him. The first was Kanetsugu Naoe, wearing his signature helmet, and the other was Kagekatsu Uesugi, Kenshin's adopted son.

"My Lord! Terrible news, our force is on the verge of collapse. We've lost the Lotus Pond and most of the Tertiary Ward, also the forces attacking the Defensive Ward have been defeated. Our plan to attack their supplies in the Northeastern Ward has been thwarted as well", Kanetsugu said gravely. "Father, Mother, what do we do?", Kagekatsu asked in his usual silent voice. "We can't afford to spend anymore time here, my nemesis is going to make his move soon if I don't finish this quickly. The four then mounted their horses along with the remaining Uesugi soldiers.

"Our target is the Main Keep! Sister, you, and Kageie advance through the Lotus Pond. Kanetsugu, Norimasa, and Yoshishige will head to the Komine Ward. Kagekatsu is with me, we'll head through the Defensive Ward to Secondary Ward. It's a race against the clock, Go!", Kenshin commanded as all of the Uesugi mobilized at once.

(Play God Of War)

(Odawara Castle Lotus Pond, Kanto)

As Aya rode with her men, they were welcomed by a number of riflemen lined up in the Lotus Pond with Hayakawa, Ujiteru and Ujinaga behind them. Ujinaga them raised his hand up and then yelled, "ready...fire!". The riflemen then all fired at once, taking out a number of Uesugi soldiers. Kageie Kakizaki, who was with Aya, was thrown off his horse with grunt. Uesugi suddenly found themselves surrounded, but not by soldiers. It was the townspeople and peasants that were there, some with swords and spears while others with farm tools.

"We wish help fight too My Lady!"

"This is our home too and we'll help our Lord no matter what!"

"Let's show them what the people of Kanto are capable of!"

The peasants could all be heard voicing their support for the Hōjō which touched the hearts of both Hayakawa and the Hōjō soldiers. "The people adore Ujiyasu this much? I guess he's more than just a mongrel dog", Aya said amusingly as she got off her horse and prepared do battle.

(Odawara Castle Komine Ward, Kanto)

Right as Kanetsugu and his men reached the Komine Ward, a long chain appeared out of nowhere and crashed into the ground, knocking many men off their horses. When they looked up a large row of riflemen were waiting for them with Kai and Ujiteru leading them. "Alright Uesugi, lets see how you handle our family bonds! All units fire!", Kai yelled.

"It's a trap!", Norimasa Uesugi yelled before being hit in the shoulder by shot. "Master Norimasa!", Kanetsugu yelled as he got off of his horse and went over to help the man. "Men get him out of here, Master Yoshishige, we'll broke through their forces here!", Kanetsugu commanded as Norimasa was taken back to the Main Camp. "Come infidels, I Kanetsugu shall show you the strength of my Righteousness!", He said as Musou appeared around him.

"Heh it looks like I get to have a little more of a challenge for this new ability", Kai said as she powered up as well.

(Odawara Castle Defensive Ward, Kanto)

"Come on, tell me already!", Saburo said, pestering Ren about Musou. "I already told you, it's too much to explain right now, we'll talk about it later", Ren said slightly annoyed at his brother. The brothers were interrupted when they could hear a large number of horses approaching. When they looked outside in the Tertiary Ward, they saw Kenshin Uesugi leading a large number of soldiers behind him.

"Alright everyone, we're going to stop them here no matter what!", Ren commanded as his soldiers prepared to halt the incoming force. Soon the two sides collided with a huge clash taking place in the Defensive Ward. The Hōjō were able to stop their advance however Kenshin Uesugi made it through the line of soldiers on his horse. "That Kenshin Uesugi! Watch me father as I claim his head!", Saburo said as he began running after Kenshin. Ren had cut down several soldiers when he saw what Saburo was trying to do and yelled out, "Wait Saburo! That's too reckless!"

As Kenshin was riding away he looked back and said, "Saburo Hōjō, a fine young warrior". Just before Saburo could reach Kenshin, two large blades appeared in front of Saburo that he was just able to block at the last second however the force proved too great and he was sent skidding back. When Saburo looked up he saw Kagekatsu getting off his horse and walking towards Saburo with his two massive blades. "I will not let anyone near my father", he said sternly as he raised his blade at Saburo. Right then Ren appeared and delivered a strong kick to the flat side of Kagekatsu's blade and knock out of his hand, and then he gave a powerful punch right to Kagekatsu's face that sent him back a couple feat.

"You shouldn't be so reckless Saburo, you're lucky Kenshin didn't decide to stay and fight", Ren said helping Saburo up. "I'm sorry brother", Saburo said apologetically. The two brothers then got battle position as they saw Kagekatsu get back up and wiping the blood from his nose. "I will not fail my father here!", he said as he picked up his blade from the ground and released his Musou.

(Odawara Castle Main Keep, Kanto)

Kenshin eventually passed through the Akagane Gate and Secondary Ward to reach the Main Ward, however he was surprised by the lack of soldiers there. He then heard footsteps coming from the Main Keep, and he grew excited since he already knew who was coming.

"So you finally got here, you battle hungry fool", Ujiyasu said as the two men released a massive amount of Musou that cracked the ground where the two Musou met. "Hehe I've been looking forward to this Ujiyasu".

 **Whew, longer chapter than usual. Not sure if there will be more chapters as long as this, we'll see. Oh yeah just in case you're wondering, when it says play, it means the music from SW. Don't worry guys, I'm gonna be back on schedule with the next chapter in the next 1-2 weeks. So anyway that's it you guys, see you on the next chapter of Bonds of the Hōjō!**


	5. A Painful Resolution

**Hey guys EpicZL here! Back at you for another chapter. The battle is reaching it's end so what will happen? Let's find out right now on chapter 5!**

Chapter 5: The Lion and the Dragon, A Painful Resolution

(Play God of War)

(Odawara Castle Akagane Gate, Kanto)

"Rah!", Kagekatsu yelled as he slammed his blades onto the ground, completely crushing the floor. Ren and Saburo quickly jumped out of the way in time to avoid the attack. "He's really strong...", Saburo said intimidated by Kagekatsu's strength. "Just stay close Saburo, you can't use Musou so don't do anything reckless", Ren cautioned him. Just then while Kagekatsu's blades were still in the ground, another blade from between each of his weapons came out and Kagekatsu pulled his blades from out of the ground creating two large waves of earth and stones that were headed straight for the brothers.

Ren quickly jumped to the side and evaded the attack and then ran in front of Saburo and blocked the attack with his weapon resulting in a large shockwave which sent stones flying everywhere. "Did that do it?", Kagekatsu asked, however from the cloud of dust after the attack he saw a silhouette of a person running towards him. Kagekatsu quickly raised his weapon to strike his opponent, however when their blades met, he was surprised to see Saburo holding him off. "Now brother!", Saburo yelled signaling Ren to jumped out from above the dust, with a large amount of flames on his blade. Ren then quickly descended apon Kagekatsu, who tried to block the attack with his other blade. "Oh no you don't!", Saburo yelled as he quickly kicked Kagekatsu's arm while still holding off his attack. This gave Ren the opening he needed launch a quick and burning diagonal slash that went from his shoulder down to the bottom of his ribs.

"Gahh!", Kagekatsu yelled as he got on his knee and clutched his burning wound. Ren then looked at Saburo with a smile and said, "Great job Saburo, let's finish this then go help Father". Saburo nodded as the two brothers got in battle position when they saw Kagekatsu get up.

(Odawara Castle Komine Ward, Kanto)

"Are you serious? Has the Hōjō become so desperate that they sent a woman to fight me?", A man in white armor with a long spear said with a laugh. "Hey don't you dare mock me or the Hōjō!", Kai yelled angrily. "Hahaha! what are you going to do about it? I am the mighty Yoshishige Satake, leader of the Satake clan, as if you could ever defeat me", He said confidently. "Oh please, I don't need to hear that from a man who's so scared of our lord that he ran to the Uesugi begging for help", Kai said mockingly. Yoshishige's expression quickly turned from a mocking one to anger at the comment and said, "You dare mock me woman?! I will show you why they call me the Devil Yoshishige!".

Yoshishige launched a furious flurry of jabs with his spear that Kai managed dodge each time. "Stay still you-", Yoshishige was interrupted when Kai's sword extended and wrapped around his leg which dragged him towards her. "No one insults my family!", Kai roared as she used her sword to throw him up into the air and slammed him down onto the ground, leaving a large crater. Once the smoke from the impact cleared, an unconscious Yoshishige could be seen on his stomach and with a shocked look on his face.

"How do you like that!", Kai said happily but was soon interrupted by a talisman headed straight for her. She tried to jump out of the way but was slightly too late which caused the talisman to give her a small cut on her arm. "Ow... hey who did that?!", Kai yelled as she rubbed the cut on her arm. "You wild beast! I will not allow your rampage to go on any longer!", Kanetsugu boldly claimed as the talisman flew back into his hand. "Who are calling a beast?! And what do you mean rampage? You guys are the ones attacking our home!", Kai said getting up and preparing for battle. "Ridiculous! We are upholding truth of our righteousness and I will show you what that means!", Kanetsugu declared as he raised his sword at her. "You know, I'm getting really sick of you Uesugi guys. It's about time you all got lost", Kai said as her Musou ignited from her body.

(Odawara Castle Lotus Pond, Kanto)

"It seems you have grown a bit since our match a little while ago. ", Aya said as she was caught in a deadlock with Hayakawa. "Yeah this time I'll defeat you myself", Hayakawa said as she broke the deadlock and struck Aya on her side with a powerful swing from her weapon. Aya was sent back several feet from the blow however she was able to stop herself by piercing the ground with her staff. Hayakawa then launched a barrage of large icicles that were headed straight towards her. Aya raised her staff, creating a large stream of lightning that struck the ice.

After the two attacks cancelled out one another, Aya noticed she was suddenly surrounded by the Hōjō and she saw Kageie and his men were defeated and captured with a large number of soldiers watching them. She also noticed that there were not only soldiers that surrounded her, but also peasants. "I must say, the Hōjō have incredible unity. It looks like I underestimated that Ujiyasu", Aya said with her usual calm voice. "That is why we won't lose. Here it doesn't matter if you are a soldier or peasant, we are all family and we all look out for each other", Hayakawa said with a smile and a determined look in her eyes. Aya looked around and saw that each of the people who surrounded her possessed the same look in their eyes. Aya then closed her eyes and with a smile quietly said, "Such strong love... I am very touched. No doubt fighting you all will be good for Kagekatsu and Kanetsugu. However I have something I must fight for just like you, so I won't hold anything back".

A large circle of electricity then appeared around her causing the men to back away from her. "Everyone please get back, I'll handle this", Hayakawa said as temperature got colder and her weapon began forming ice. "Come, I wish to see just how strong that old dog's daughter is", Aya said as the two women rushed at each other.

(Odawara Castle Main Ward, Kanto)

"So shall we begin Ujiyasu?", Kenshin said with anticipation in his voice as he got off his horse. "Hmph, are you sure you want to do this? It looks like you already took a beating earlier", Ujiyasu said noting his burned armor. "Ah yes, that son of yours is one amazing warrior. I can tell he has a bright future ahead of him", Kenshin said while reminiscing his battle with Ren. "Well I guess it's a good thing my boy softened you up a bit. You're a pain in the ass to fat at full strength anyway", Ujiyasu said as he started walking towards Kenshin.

After staring each other down for a few seconds, the two warriors jumped from their spots, leaving large cracks in the ground from where they were. The two found themselves in fierce deadlock with neither combatant being able to gain an advantage on the other. "You know Ujiyasu, you are one of the few people who can get my blood so fired up in a battle. I suppose I must add your son to that list as well", Kenshin said with a smile as the two men struggled to overpower each other. "Tsk, well unlike you I don't fight for fun. I do it because I must protect my land and family. Now get out of my sight!", Ujiyasu said as he kicked Kenshin away, breaking their deadlock. He then pointed his weapon towards Kenshin and fired a barrage of Musou powered shots. Kenshin knocked away all the shots with a single swing of his blade, then he countered by launching a white sphere of energy with hand.

Ujiyasu them unsheathed his sword from the cane and slashed downwards, completely severing the sphere in two causing an explosion behind him. Kenshin then rushed towards Uijyasu and began an array of powerful slashes that moved at an extraordinary speed. Ujiyasu was able to skillfully match Kenshin blow for blow each time with his sword. Eventually the two simultaneously struck each other with a powerful strike that sent both warriors skidding backwards.

Kenshin got up and said, "It seems the Lion's fangs are still as sharp as ever". "The same could be said of the Dragon. Even when wounded, you can still fight so ferociously", Ujiyasu said as he got up from the ground. "As fun as this whole experience has been, I'm afraid I don't have anymore time to spare", Kenshin said as flames appeared in his hand. The flames then disappeared as Kenshin raised his sword into the air. Large fireballs began to rain down towards Ujiyasu from the sky. "Tsk you're telling me about not having time? You would have a lot more time if you didn't come here to bother me in the first place. It would've also spared you the humiliation of getting your ass sent back home in defeat", Ujiyasu said as his Musou materialized a bomb in his hand. He then threw it up into the air and and sheathed his sword back. Afterwards he pointed his cane towards the sky and fired a single shot that pierced the bomb, creating a massive explosion that took out all the fireballs with it.

Once the smoke cleared up, Ujiyasu saw Kenshin charging up a massive amount of Musou into his sword. Ujiyasu materialized another bomb into his hand and said, "This has gone on long enough don't you think? Don't worry before you go heres a souvenir". He then turned around and threw the bomb over his back which headed straight for Kenshin and started walking away. Kenshin saw the bomb and tried to strike it with the Musou saved in his sword, however by the time he launched it, the bomb was too close and the explosion sent him flying towards a wall.

After the explosion, Ujiyasu turned around and saw Kenshin slowly get up. "Well done Ujiyasu. You and the Hōjō have fought magnificently. This truly is an impenetrable fortress, take pride", he said as he walked towards his horse and began leaving the Main Ward. Once Kenshin was out of sight Kotaro appeared next to Ujiyasu. "A large number of Uesugi reinforcements are approaching the castle", he said. Ujiyasu sighed as he said, "The bastard still wants to fight? At this rate my domain will be shambles. Send a messenger for peace talks, he's worried about the Takeda so he won't refuse".

(Odawara Castle Akagane Gate, Kanto)

"Ahh!", Kagekatsu yelled as he was sent to ground on his back. After a long and fierce battle the two brothers emerged victorious over the the child of the God of War. "W-Wow we actually did it!", Saburo said while panting. "Yeah let's finish this Saburo?", Ren said who was also slightly worn out. As the two brothers started walking closer to Kagekatsu they heard a horse rapidly approach them. To their surpise it was Kenshin atop his horse. He reached his hand out and grabbed Kagekatsu by his hand, helping onto the back of the horse.

"That was Kenshin right? Why did he go back?", Saburo asked. "Father must have beaten him, besides with the way this battles going, the Uesugi are going to lose too much of their forces to fight the Takeda. Either way we should go check on Father", Ren said as the brothers made for the Main Ward.

(Odawara Castle Komine Ward, Kanto)

"Ha...Ha...Had enough yet?", Kai said between pants. "Of...course...not, My righteousness will never allow me to be defeated by you", Kanetsugu said tiredly. A messenger then ran up to Kanetsugu and said, "Lord Kanetsugu! Lord Kenshin has given the order to withdraw!". "It appears we will have to finish this another time", Kanetsugu said as he and the remaining soldiers fled. After they all left Ujikuni and his men ran up to Kai and said, "Kai! Are you alright?".

"Yeah I'm fine Lord Ujikuni, but we should go check on our Lord in the Main Ward. Ujikuni nodded then the group started running towards the Main Ward.

(Odawara Castle Lotus Pond, Kanto)

"Take this!", Hayakawa yelled as she formed a massive orb of ice and then struck it with her weapon causing it to head straight for Aya. She tried to destroy the orb with her lightning, however the orb was too big and she was forced to block it with her staff. The force of the impact proved too much for Aya and she was sent several feet away. "You're good, but this battle is far from over", Aya said as she got up. A soldier of the Uesugi then ran up to her and whispered something to her. "Hm maybe it is over after all, oh well. I hope we meet again young lady", Aya said as she and her unit ran towards the Uesugi Main Camp.

"Sister! Are you hurt?", Ujiteru asked as he and Ujinaga ran up to her. "No just a little tired is all, but what do you think happened?", Hayakawa asked. "It would seem the Uesugi are falling back, but we don't know if this battle is over yet. My Lady, you and Lord Ujiteru should go back to the Main Ward to check on the situation. The men and I will stay here in case something happens", Ujinaga said. The siblings agreed and began heading towards Ujiyasu.

(Odawara Castle Main Keep, Kanto)

(Music End)

"Father! Is everything alright?", Ren asked as he, Hayakawa, Kai, Ujiteru, Ujikuni, Ujinori and Saburo all arrived at the same time. Ujiyasu was standing still while calmly looking into the sky with Kotaro and Ujimasa by his side. He then looked at them and said, "That fool isn't done just yet. He still has more troops approaching but I already know he can't afford to keep this battle going". "So what are we going to do?", Ujimasa asked.

"I'm going to their Main Camp, and have a talk with Kenshin. You all wait here and get some rest", Ujiyasu said as he began walking away. "Are you sure you'll be alright Father? What if they do something to you?", Ujiteru asked worriedly. "Don't worry I'll be fine. He's might be a war monger but he's still a honorable man", Ujiyasu said as he got on a horse and began riding off. "Let's just trust Father on this. Come on we should go help the wounded around the castle", Ren said. They all agreed and began going around the castle to help everyone.

(Uesugi Main Camp, Kanto)

The air in the camp was filled with an unusual tension that had all of the men worried. The source of this was the two men who were sitting across from each other in the center of the camp. Ujiyasu and Kenshin were sitting directly across each with no one else around due to Kenshin's orders.

"Can we get this over with already? I have better things to do than fight you all day", Ujiyasu said impatiently. "Very well then Ujiyasu let's talk. You wish to end this battle between us as do I however I need something from you to solidify our peace agreement", Kenshin said. "What did you have in mind?", Ujiyasu asked already knowing that he would not like the answer.

"Throughout this battle, you're children have proven themselves to be incredible warriors. The one called Ren in particular impressed me greatly", Kenshin said with a smile. "You want to take my son?", Ujiyasu said with a hint of anger in voice. "Ren is a gifted one however it would not be appropriate since he is not your son by blood, besides he would be much better off here with you and the Hōjō. Your other son Saburo is also quite impressive and possesses a lot of potential. I wish to adopt him as my son", Kenshin said seriously.

Kenshin could see that Ujiyasu clearly was against the idea based on his facial expression. "Don't worry Ujiyasu I promise you he will be treated very well like he were my own son. If you don't agree then this battle between us will continue and regardless of the winner both sides will face heavy casualties and the people of Kanto will truly suffer because of it", Kenshin said. Ujiyasu then stood up and sighed before turning around. "Alright fine Saburo is yours, however remember this, if you do anything to my kid or if you break our agreement and hurt the people of Kanto then I will make sure you feel the Lion's fangs", Ujiyasu said seriously.

"I will not dishonor our agreement like that. If I do something like that then I will have betrayed my honor and you will have everyone right to strike me down", Kenshin said. As Ujiyasu began walking out, he stopped and said, "Just look after him alright. He does have potential but he can be reckless". Kenshin nodded before Ujiyasu continued walking away. "(I'm sorry Suikeiin...)", Ujiyasu thought as he left the camp.

(Odawara Castle Main Keep, Kanto)

After regrouping all of the soldiers, everyone was getting rest and tending to their wounds. Ren and Hayakawa could be seen sitting next to each, helping the patch up their bruises and cuts. "Ow!", Ren cried out as Hayakawa was wrapping a bandage around his arm. "Come on, hold still Ren. This bruise isn't going to take care of itself", Hayakawa said. "Yeah well thanks Hayakawa, I don't know what I would do without you", Ren said with a smile. Hayakawa's face quickly turned beet red at his comment and looked away as she continued to patch his arm.

"O-Oh i-it's nothing, you would did the same for me so it's fine. A-Anyway do you think Father is alright?", Hayakawa asked quickly changing the subject. Before Ren could answer, the two saw Ujiyasu walk in with a lonesome look on his face. "Father is everything alright?", Ren asked worriedly. "You two call everyone to meet me in the council room, there is something important I need to discuss with you all", Ujiyasu ordered before walking away. The two siblings had concerned looks on their faces as they left to call the others.

(Several Minutes Later)

Later in the war council room, Ujiyasu sat in front of everyone to explain the conditions for the peace agreement. On the left from closest to farthest sat Ren, Ujimasa, Hayakawa, and Ujinori while on the right sat Ujiteru, Kai, And Ujikuni. In the center in front of Ujiyasu sat Saburo who had his head facing down after hearing the news.

"Father...Brother...Sister...You would all just abandon me like this?!", Saburo yelled angrily as he got up and ran out of the room. "Saburo! Saburo, wait!", Hayakawa yelled as she got up and ran after him. "T-This is not right...", Kai said as she got up and went after Hayakawa and Saburo. Ujiteru, Ujikuni, and Ujinori all immediately got up and tried to catch up to the others. Ujimasa and Ren then stood up and bowed to their Father with concerned looks on their faves as they too tried to go after their siblings, leaving Ujiyasu by himself in the room

"Saburo is going to resent you for this you know", Kotaro said who had just appeared behind him. Ujiyasu could only sigh at the remark. "Willing to turn your hurt to stone if it is for the sake of the people eh? Hehe", Kotaro said almost mockingly. Ujiyasu then swiftly threw his pipe at the ninja without even having to look back, however he disappeared before it could hit causing it to hit the wall. "Tsk, I don't need to hear that from you", Ujiyasu said angrily before going back to his thoughts

(Odawara Castle Lotus Pond, Kanto)

Saburo could be seen looking over the lotus pond, staring at his reflection in deep thought. "So this is where you've been", a voice said behind him causing him to turn around to reveal Ren who was walking towards him.

"Oh it's you brother. I'm sorry about my outburst earlier...", Saburo said as he turned back around. Ren walked up next to him against the railing to look into the pond. After a short moment of silence Ren spoke up and said, "Look Saburo, no one hates you, especially not Father. You know how it must've been for him to make that decision?". Saburo looked down and said, "Yeah I know, it's just I can't believe I have to leave...", Saburo said sadly.

He then felt Ren's hand on his shoulder which caused to look at his adopted brother. "Saburo, no matter what happens, no matter where we end up, and no matter the circumstances we're put in, we will always be family and we will always be there there for one another", Ren said firmly with a smile. "Brother...", Saburo said with a surprised look on his face.

"That's right, so you should really stop doubting us", a voice said.The two brothers turned around to see Ujimasa with the rest of their siblings and Kai. "Yeah... yeah you're right. No matter what happens we're family!", Saburo exclaimed. Everyone then smiled as they all gave Saburo a group hug.

(Odawara Castle Front Gate, Kanto)

Ujiyasu, Suikeiin and everyone in the Hōjō stood in front of the gates to send Saburo off. "Please take care alright Saburo", Suikeiin said softly as she hugged her son. "I will Mother, please take care of yourself", Saburo said hugging her back. "Father, I'm sorry about earlier...", Saburo said. Ujiyasu closed his eyes and with a smile said, "Don't worry about it kid, just don't do anything stupid alright?". Saburo nodded then turned to Ren and said, "Brother, I'll leave everything to you. Look after everyone for me". Ren nodded as Saburo began heading out.

As Saburo turned around he was surprised to see all the people of Odawara had come to see him off.

"Lord Saburo take care!"

"Come back home anytime!"

"Let us know if the Uesugi do anything to you. We'll teach them a lesson!"

He couldn't believe the large crowd that was in front him had all come out just for him. "(Thats right...this is my family. I need to do this for them)". He then began walking through the cheering crowd towards the two Uesugi escorts who were waiting for him. As he got on his horse, he waved back to his family one last time. Ujiyasu and Suikeiin waved back with sad smiles. Ujimasa was barely able to contain his tears as he sent off his brother while Ujiteru, Ujikuni, and Ujinori were all crying uncontrollably next to him. Hayakawa and Kai both had sad expressions on their faces as they waved back. Ren, although saddened by the event, kept a determined face as he sent his brother off. "(Saburo, I promise I'll keep our family safe while you're gone)". None of them knew however, that the next time they meet, it would not be a completely happy renunion...

 **And that is that! I know that in 4-11 he went willingly but I wanted to do the 4 version for more drama. Anyway we lost Saburo this chapter however the next chapter will introduce a certain underrated character in Samurai Warriors so look forward to that on the next Bonds of the Hōjō!**


	6. Genius Behind The Fool

**Hey guys EpicZL here with another chapter for you. Last chapter we lost Saburo to the Uesugi which was a bit sad so I thought might as well cheer us up with one of the most underrated and unappreciated characters in SW4. Who is it? Find out right now in chapter 6!**

Chapter 6: The Game For Hayakawa, Genius Behind The Fool

Four months had passed since Saburo became a hostage of the Uesugi, and in that time Ren, Hayakawa and Kai had been training extensively with Tsunashige and Ujiyasu to hone their newfound Musou abilities. Ren's fame had skyrocketed since the battle with the Uesugi and became known as "The Dragon of Kanto" who the great Kenshin himself had praised so highly. Although he didn't mind the new fame, it did make him feel uncomfortable at times with the new treatment he would get sometimes.

At the moment Ren was sitting in the war council room reading through reports with relieved look on his face. Hayakawa then walked into the room and asked, "Hey Ren what are you reading?". "Oh just a report about the Uesugi. Apparently Saburo did pretty well against the Takeda at Kawanakajima even though they lost", Ren said looking at her. "So he's doing good for himself? That's a relief. But I can't believe that the Uesugi were defeated", Hayakawa said. "Yeah apparently it was a really close battle, but the Takeda overall managed to win and now the two sides have forged a peace agreement", Ren said as he put down the report.

"Well either way I'm just glad Saburo is doing okay, or is it Kagetora now?". Ren smiled and said, "Well either way he's still our brother now matter what he goes by". Hayakawa smiled and nodded before a messenger ran in said, "My Lord, My Lady! I've been asked to inform you that we have an important visitor for Lord Ujiyasu here". "An important visitor? Who is it?", Hayakawa asked.

(Odawara Castle Town, Kanto)

"Oh my this place is even livelier than I remembered!", a man said excitedly as he walked through the town. He was a short, pale man with a small wispy moustache. He wore a green and purple robe with a little armor on his arms and chest. His head was also shaved right down the center with headpiece on top of his head. What really got people around the town talking though was the clan symbol that resembled a hair comb that proudly displayed on his back.

"H-Hey is that who I think it is?"

"That symbol and that outfit..."

"Is he here to see Lord Ujiyasu?"

"Why is he all alone?"

Ujiyasu then appeared from the crowd and said, "Hey Yoshimoto, there you are. I've been looking for you". Yoshimoto's face lit up upon the sight of Ujiyasu and said, "Oh my brother! I just wanted to stroll the town for a bit is all". "That's fine and all but you're the one who wanted to meet with me so you really shouldn't keep me and your sister waiting", Ujiyasu said, scratching his head.

"Oh you're right! I completely forgot, let's go then. I really look forward to seeing everyone!", Yoshimoto said happily as the two headed into the castle with the crowd of people still bewildered by Yoshimoto's presence.

(Odawara Castle Main Ward, Kanto)

Once the pair reached the Main Ward, they were greeted by all the Hōjō children along with Kai. In front if them stood Suikeiin with a smile on her face. "My dear sister! It's been too long!", Yoshimoto said happily as he hugged Suikeiin. "It's good to see you too, I see that you are still as carefree as ever", Suikeiin said as she hugged back. After breaking their hug, Yoshimoto was greeted by all Ujimasa and his sibling until he reached Ren and said, "Oh so you're the famous Dragon of Kanto! I've heard a lot about you!". Ren scratched his head in embarrassment and said, "It's nothing really, I was just trying to protect my home. I didn't really want to make a name for myself".

"Oh so modest, I can see why Kenshin took such a liking to you", Yoshimoto said. He then moved on to Hayakawa and said, "Oh my niece has become such a beautiful young lady! You look just like your mother!". Hayakawa blushed and said, "T-Thank you Lord Yoshimoto, but I'm nowhere near as amazing as mother yet".

"Alright Yoshimoto, I think that's enough of teasing my kids, how about we go inside and discuss about this important subject you were talking about", Ujiyasu said as he led Yoshimoto and Suikeiin inside.

After the three were out of sight, the sibling gathered and began talking about Yoshimoto. Ujiteru laughed and said, "Wow I can't believe that's the leader of the Imagawa! He definitely doesn't fit the part". Ujimasa had an angry look on his face as he said, "Ujiteru cut it out! It doesn't matter what he looks and acts like, he's our Mother's brother so show a little respect!".

"Well you have to admit Brother...he sure doesn't resemble Mother at all", Ujikuni said which earned a nod from Ujinori. "Come on everyone, we shouldn't talk about him behind their backs, besides he's still family so don't be rude", Hayakawa said angrily causing Ujiteru, Ujikuni, and Ujinori to be quiet instantly.

Ren however felt something else from Yoshimoto. "(Even though he acted like that, I sense there is a lot more to him than we know...)", Ren thought. Yoshimoto was one of the most powerful Daimyō in the land and there was no way the Imagawa could be as powerful as they were, if Yoshimoto didn't have extraordinary abilities. Ren knew this and he continued to think about who Yoshimoto really was.

(Odawara Castle Main Keep, Kanto)

In thw war council room, Ujiyasu, Yoshimoto, and Suikeiin sat together to discuss a plan that would lead to great change across the land. "Alright Yoshimoto, what's this important announcement you had?", Ujiyasu said smoking his pipe. Yoshimoto then closed his eyes and said, "I intend to march on the capital and end this age of chaos". The mood in the room then suddenly became tense and serious after Yoshimoto spoke. "Are you sure about this Yoshimoto? The path you're planning to take isn't an easy one you know", Ujiyasu said. Yoshimoto then stood up and began walking slowly as he said, "I know that fully well however I've made up my mind, I shall set out next month and the banner of the Imagawa shall fly over Kyoto". Suikeiin then looked at him asked, "So what do the Hōjō have to do with this brother?".

"I need to strengthen our alliance so I can focus solely on advancing to the capital without worrying about my rear. I have already formed one with Shingen by marrying my daughter to his son Yoshinobu so this way we can have a triple alliance", Yoshimoto explained. "We already have alliance though remember? That's how I'm ended up with this cute lion here", Suikeiin said teasingly as she held onto Ujiyasu's arm, causing him to blush and look away.

"Yes I know the bonds between our two clans are very strong and I'm very happy about that. This is just meant to strengthen our bonds further so I was thinking about having your daughter marry my son Ujizane", Yoshimoto said happily.

The two were instantly shocked at the proposition and it was very apparent that they were against the idea. Suikeiin spoke up first with a scary smile and said, "Am I not good enough for our alliance Yoshimoto? I'm sorry but I just lost my son to Uesugi and I don't intend on losing anymore more". Yoshimoto and Ujiyasu were both sweating profusely at her terrifying aura that appeared when she said that. Ujiyasu nervously cleared his throat to break the tension and said, "Look Yoshimoto, she's right. We just lost Saburo and we really don't want to have to go through that again. Besides Hayakawa already has eyes for someone else. It wouldn't be right of us to marry off like that".

Yoshimoto had a questioning look on his face until he looked out the window. Down below he saw Ren and Hayakawa sitting next to each other on a bench talking and exchanging laughs. Yoshimoto then realized instantly what they meant once he saw the embarrassed expressions on the two. "Oho I see now! So that's the one!", Yoshimoto said amusingly with a laugh. He then closed his eyes and began talking to himself. "Hmmm I don't want to have to separate the two of them... but we really need to boost our relations somehow...".

His face suddenly lit up as he said, "I've got it!". The two were surprised and asked, "What do you have in mind?". Yoshimoto had a big smile on his face as he said, "We will settle this with a game of Kemari! I will face off against your boy Ren. If I win then Hayakawa marries Ujizane, if he wins then I have another proposal in mind". Ujiyasu thought about it for a while and said, "Alright I guess I have no choice".

Yoshimoto's face lit up at the response and said, "Oh this is going to be so much fun! I need to get ready!". After Yoshimoto ran out the room, Suikeiin looked at Ujiyasu and said, "Dear you know that since he's going to face Ren, he's going to make this more than an ordinary game right?". Ujiyasu sighed as he recalled his past games with Yoshimoto and said, "Yeah I know, but I believe our boy can win this especially since he has a lot of motivation you know".

"Hehe really reminds you of when we were kids right? That game you two played to see if you were worthy to marry me?", Suikeiin said with a smile as she held tighter onto his arm. "Ugh yeah I was sore for weeks after that, but I know Ren can do it. If he can match Kenshin in battle then he can match Yoshimoto in Kemari".

(Odawara Castle Main Ward, Kanto)

"WHAT?!", Kai yelled in surprise. Ujiyasu had just explained the situation to his children and Kai which left them all surprised. "So I have to play against Lord Yoshimoto? I don't know if I can do this... We haven't played Kemari since we were kids", Ren said worried. "Don't worry you can beat him especially since this isn't an ordinary game", Ujiyasu said.

"What do you mean", Ren asked confused. "Ordinarily you wouldn't be able to beat him in a regular game however when he faces an opponent like you, he will play with Musou to make it more interesting", Ujiyasu explained. "But wait, if Ren can't win in a regular game, how is he supposed to win a Musou powered one?", Ujimasa asked. "It's because Ren's Musou is quite powerful and that might give him the edge he needs to win, also a little bit of advice, Ren keep your armor on. You're going to need it", Ujiyasu said cautiously.

Ren took a deep breath for a moment and then with newfound determination said, "Don't worry Hayakawa, I'll make sure I win this for you. You won't have to marry someone that you don't want to". Although it was true that he was doing it for her, it was also because he couldn't bear to see Hayakawa with someone else. Hayakawa blushed then said, "Y-Yeah I know you can do it!". It's true that marrying to Ujizane would've helped the Hōjō a lot and that she wanted all she could for them however in her heart she knew that there was already someone for her and she doesn't want to be with anyone other than him. Ujiyasu couldn't help but smile at his children's awkwardness towards each other. "(Heh you were right Suikeiin, it really is like when we were kids)".

"Alright you better get ready. He's waiting in the training grounds, so when you're ready head on over there", Ujiyasu said as he began walking away. "Come on Lord Ren, you can do this", Kai said encouragingly to Ren. Ren nodded as the sibling began to head towards the training grounds.

(Odawara Castle Training Grounds, Kanto)

Ren and Yoshimoto stood across from one another just, preparing to begin the game that would decide Hayakawa's fate. Ujiyasu, Suikeiin, Kai and the rest of the siblings sat on the porch close to the training grounds to watch the two.

"Alright my nephew, the rules are simple. You must kick the ball past your opponent and it has to hit the ground behind them. Whoever gets three points first is the winner alright?", Yoshimoto explained with excitement as he was kicking the ball up and down.

After a few seconds, Yoshimoto finally said, "Alright my nephew let us begin!". And with that he kicked the ball into the air and when it came down, he delivered a powerful kick which sent it flying at Ren. The ball was enveloped in aura that increased it's speed tremendously. Ren tried to kick it, but he wasn't prepared for it's speed, forcing him to block it with his arms. "(It's too fast!)", He thought as pushed the ball the ball into the air to blunt it's force. Once the ball started falling down, Ren put a massive amount of strength into a Musou powered kick that sent the ball towards Yoshimoto's left side at a blinding speed.

"Woah! It's so fast! There's no way Lord Yoshimoto can get that!", Kai said excitedly. Ujiyasu sighed and said, "I wouldn't be so sure about that...". Just as everyone thought that Ren's victory was imminent, Yoshimoto lept from his position with extraordinary speed, which shocked everyone except for Ujiyasu and Suikeiin. Yoshimoto then kicked the ball back with even greater force than before. Ren tried to block once more, however the ball suddenly curved around himcrashed into the ground behind him.

Kai stared in disbelief at what had just happened. "N-No way! How dis he move that fast? That shouldn't even be possible with that distance!".

"He may not look like it, but my brother is very quick on his feat and his aim is impeccable. He is a master archer and he incorporates that skill into Kemari, making him very formidable", Suikeiin said as she carefully watched the game. Ren picked up the ball as he was deep in thought over Yoshimoto's skill. "(This is really not looking good... He is much faster and stronger than he looks and I can tell he hasn't even gotten serious yet".

Snapping out of his thoughts, he looked over to Hayakawa, who gave him an encouraging smile in return. "(That's right... I'm not doing this for myself. I have to win this for Hayakawa and for everyone in our family)". He then looked at Yoshimoto, who immediately could see the change in Ren's eyes. "So my nephew, it seems you are finally going to get serious", Yoshimoto said with an anticipating smile.

Ren said nothing as he threw the ball high into the air. The temperature in the area rose as fierce flames appeared around his leg. Once the ball came down to his chest level, he landed a swift kick that caused the flames to explode around the ball as he it was launched straight at Yoshimoto. The ball was completely encased in flames as it headed toward Yoshimoto at a blinding speed. Yoshimoto jumped up and kicked it, however the force was too much and it slipped through his foot leading it to crash into the ground, creating a large explosion of flames.

Once the smoke cleared up, a large crater could be seen and to everyone's surprise, the ball was completely intact with no damage on it. "Alright with this Ren is even with Lord Yoshimoto!", Ujiteru cheered. "No... as incredible as that was, this is mearly the beginning. With this Yoshimoto will have no choice but to use his full strength and believe me it's going to be rough for the boy", Ujiyasu said seriously.

Yoshimoto cheerfully walked into the crater to pick up the ball after it had cooled down. "Hoho! It has been a long time since I've had so much fun! It looks like I've at last found a worthy opponent to give my all against!". As he said that, the air suddenly became much thicker as Yoshimoto Musou appeared around him. "A-Amazing...This is equal to even Father and Kenshin", Hayakawa said slightly sweating from the sudden burst of energy.

"Alright my boy, let the fun continue!", Yoshimoto said as he tossed the ball into the air. This time he jumped high into the air and delivered a spinning back kick to the ball. When he kicked it however, there were suddenly three balls that headed towards Ren with blinding speed, each coming at him different directions. "W-What?! Where did those balls come from?", Ujimasa asked.

"Yoshimoto's Musou is based on his skill in Kemari. He is able to form powerful orbs that he kicks at a destructive pace and they can even multiply. That makes him a fierce warrior in both Kemari and on the battlefield", Ujiyasu explained. Suikeiin smiled and said, "You would think that it would be a pretty ridiculous ability but it's actually quite effective".

As the three balls headed towards him, Ren infused both his legs with flames and swiftly kicked the balls coming from the left then the right causing consecutive explosions from each. "Both were Musou orbs... Then where's the real one?", Ren said as he was unable to see through the smoke caused by the explosions. All of sudden the smoke cleared due to the speed of the ball appearing right throught it. The ball caught Ren off guard and it ended up striking his single armor plate on his shoulder. The plate was completely broken off and the ball crashed into the ground behind him.

"T-This is bad... Ren is going to lose at this rate!", Ujinori said worriedly. "No way Lord Ujinori! Lord Ren won't lose, I just know it!", Kai said determined although deep down she was just as worried about him. Hayakawa was holding her hands to her heart clearly worried about Ren. "(Ren...Please be careful...)", She thought as she continued to watch the two of them.

Once Ren walked to where the ball had landed, he was surprised to see that his shoulder plate had been completely warped and bent around the ball due to it's sheer speed and power. "(So this is the strength of the Daimyo of the Imagawa... He purposely made the two decoys much faster than the real ball to make a diversion. He then kicked the real ball with far greater force while the smoke was there and he even knew exactly where my blind spot was based on the game so far. There is definitely more to this man than anyone can believe", Ren thought amazed.

"You're Musou technique is pretty good my nephew, however it appears you still don't have full mastery of it just yet", Yoshimoto said as Ren picked up the ball. Ren gave him a confused look as Yoshimoto continued. "You use your Musou quite well when you focused your Musou on your legs however if would have been much more efficient if you had concentrated it into a smaller area instead of your whole leg".

"Why are you trying to help me?", Ren asked. Yoshimoto smiled as he said, "Well it's quite simple my boy. A game is always much more fun when your opponent can challenge you. By facing each other like this, we both sharpen our skills as a result". Suikeiin sighed then smiled as she said, "That's just like him, he never changes does he?".

Ren was staring at the ball as he thought, "(Concentrate my power into a smaller area... Well it's worth a shot. If I can't do this then Hayakawa will...)". The thought of his sister leaving hurt him inside, and helped him regain the confidence to play. Ren then threw the ball high into the air and began surging flames around his leg. "(Alright, concentrate...)". The flames around his legs then began to slowly compact around his foot as he focused harder. Once the ball came down he kicked the ball with far greater power than before causing the flames to blast the ball right towards Yoshimoto. Yoshimoto jumped up and kicked the ball straight on, however it was faster and stronger than he had anticipated.

"Oho! You sure are a fast learner, however this game is just starting my boy!", Yoshimoto said as he released even more aura around his body. He used enough strength to kick the ball right back towards Ren. He was ready this time as he ran towards the ball and gave an even fiercer kick than before that sent the ball straight back. This exchange continued for several minutes with neither contestant backing down in the slightest. Eventually Ren saw his chance when kicked the ball, causing it to make a sharp curve towards Yoshimoto. Just before Yoshimoto could kick it back, the ball made a sharp curve around him causing him to miss and the ball to land several feet behind Yoshimoto.

Once the ball landed, all the spectators sighed a breath of relief as the score was now even. "Man I don't know how much more of this my heart can take...", Ujimasa said nervously. "So this is the decider, whoever gets this last point wins the whole thing", Ujiyasu said as he gripped his pipe tightly. "It's quite impressive how much you've improved over such short amount of time", Yoshimoto said happily as he picked up the ball.

"Well it's thanks to you helping me Lord Yoshimoto. If you hadn't I would have lost already", Ren said with a smile. "Well then my boy shall we continue?". Ren readied himself as he said, "Of course!". Yoshimoto then threw the ball into the air and jumped up after it. He then delivered a spinning back kick which not only enveloped the ball in purple aura but also four additional balls were created and all of them flew straight towards Ren. "Hmph I not going to fall for this again", Ren said as flames once more appeared around him. With one sweep of his leg, a large wave of flames shot out and destroyed all four orbs leaving the real ball as the only one that made it through. "(He knew that only the real ball would be able to survive those flames so he took out the decoys in one fell swoop before they reached him so he could avoid a repeat of last time. Hmph well done boy)", Ujiyasu thought as he continued to watch with anticipation.

Although the fire didn't stop the ball, it greatly reduced it's momentum, making it easy for Ren to strike. "(Alright condense my Musou...and release!)", Ren thought as he gave a fierce kick to the ball that that actually set the ball in flames. Everyone had thought that it was over with the speeding fireball neared Yoshimoto, however he was not finished yet. It appeared that Yoshimoto was going to try and kick the ball however his intentions wete different. He used the curve of his foot latch onto the ball and he began spinning around until he released it straight back at Ren.

"What?! He redirected the ball?!", Kai yelled. "Pretty clever Yoshimoto. It would take a lot of force to kick back something like that however by redirecting it with his foot he not only managed to send the ball back but he retained the speed and force of the ball, making it harder for Ren to send it back", Suikeiin said with an amused tone. "Still to be able to do something like that against a speeding fireball is nothing short of amazing. Lord Yoshimoto certainly is something else", Hayakawa said.

With the ball headed straight back towards Ren, he infused more flames onto his leg and gave an even stronger kick. Although he struggled to send it back right away, he eventually overpowered it and sent it back with even greater force. Once again Yoshimoto remained unfazed as he redirected the ball once more. This would continue for another four minutes with both players becoming noticeably more worn out and the ball becoming increasingly faster. "Wow this is so intense...", Ujimasa said sweating. "As the gets faster and faster, Ren has a harder time kicking it back and Yoshimoto has harder time deflecting it so this all comes down to the first person to make a mistake", Ujiyasu said. "At least it looks like they're having fun despite the stakes here", Suikeiin said.

It was true as both of them had smiles on their faces as the game kept intensifying. Ren however knew that if the game kept progressing the way it was then eventually he would lose. "(With the speed of the ball as it is, I can't pull off any kind of maneuvers that can help me, I have no choice but to rely of brute force, but I have to make it strong enough that he can't send it right back)", Ren thought. Right after he kicked it back, he quickly began condensing his flames even more. "(Focus it all into a single point!)", Ren thought as tried to quickly pull this off before the ball would come back.

Yoshimoto noticed this and thought, "(So he's already learned the key to focusing his Musou into a single point. Well then let's see your resolve!)". Just before he released the ball back, he added a supercharged kick which made the ball even faster than it was before. "Alright this is it!", Ren exclaimed as his flaming foot crashed into the ball causing a massive explosion of flames. From amidst the flames a dragon made of flames appeared and headed straight towards Yoshimoto at a lightning speed. In its mouth was the ball as it started swirling toward him. Yoshimoto gave a direct hit to ball which was able to stop the dragon. The ball then began to push Yoshimoto back until the force proved to much and completely pushed through Yoshimoto and knocking back several feet away. The dragon then crashed into the ground with enormous force and the shockwave from it almost blew away the Ujiyasu and the others who were watching.

After the smoke cleared, the flames had all dissipated and the ball was glowing orange from the heat and was steadily cooling down. "He did it!", Kai yelled happily. Ujiyasu smiled as he thought, "(Nice work boy, I knew you had it in you...)". Everyone then began heading towards Ren, who was down on one knee resting and slighting panting. Both Hayakawa and Kai ran up to him and hugged him only to break out of it a few seconds later with blushing faces. They all then looked over to Yoshimoto who was crouched over in the crater where the ball was.

He then began walking towards them with a serious face that made them all nervous. "That...was...so much fun!", Yoshimoto said happily while jumping up and down. They all sighed a breath of relief at his brimming positivity. After a brief moment Ujiyasu spoke up and said, "Well I suppose you're satisfied now Yoshimoto?". Yoshimoto then settled down and said, "Yes absolutely! Very well then since you won, there is no need for any marriage so instead I will ask you for something different".

Ujiyasu then asked, "What would you like then?". "Since the path to the capital is a long one filled with countless foes, I would like the Hōjō to send me some reinforcements to get there", Yoshimoto said. Ujiyasu stroked his chin for a bit and said, "Alright that we can do, I can spare about 5,000 men for you for the road". Yoshimoto's face lit up and said, "Oh that will be perfect but I have one condition though". Ujiyasu and the others looked confused before he said, "A condition?".

Yoshimoto looked directly at Ren and said, "I would like my nephew here to lead that unit". Everyone was surprised by this but not as much as Ren who said, "Me?". Ujiyasu smiled and said, "Alright fine, he will be the commander of the unit and aid you on your way to the capital. Happy now?".

"Perfect! Now our alliance is sealed! Now let us celebrate with a meal. There is nothing better than delicious food after a great game of Kemari! Sister will you do the honors? It has been so long since I've had one of your meals". Suikeiin smiled and said, "Oh alright, I know my boys and girls are all hungry. Let's eat!". They all cheered as they began heading inside to celebrate both Ren's victory as well as the stronger ties between their clans.

(Later that night)

Ren was lying on his futon in the middle of his room, thinking about everything that has transpired over the past day. His legs were still sore from the ferocious game they played earlier. "(I'm going to be leading a unit towards the capital? Why does he want me to do it? Wouldn't Father be a much better choice?)". After 10 minutes of being unable to sleep due to the thoughts running through his head decided to get some fresh air. He walked out onto his balcony and looked up into the night sky.

He then looked down and saw Yoshimoto who was sitting on the porch who appeared to also be deep in thought. Ren then left his room and began to head down to where Yoshimoto was. Once he reached the ground floor, he saw Yoshimoto sitting quietly on the porch outside. "Having trouble sleeping my lord?", Ren asked as he took a seat next to Yoshimoto.

"Oh my nephew, yes I suppose I am having a bit of trouble sleeping. I just wanted to relax outside for a bit , why don't you join me?", He asked. The two them sat there silently until Ren spoke up and said, "Lord Yoshimoto I have a question... why did you want me to lead the unit? I've never acted as a commander before so wouldn't picking Father or Ujimasa a better choice?". Yoshimoto smiled at this and said, "So that's what's been worrying you. I picked you because I could see the incredible ability you possess. I know that when you faced Kenshin's army, you were able to see through his tactics as well as inspire your men greatly, that shows that you are a true leader". Ren was surprised at this and couldn't find any words to say as Yoshimoto continued. "You say that you are inexperienced but this is going to be a chance to gain some. I can tell that the Hōjō are going to rely on you a lot in the future and no doubt they are going to need you to support them. I'm sure soon, my brother will be placing you in charge of many battles and it will be up to you to make sure that you lead your men to victory as well making sure they return home to their families".

Ren was shocked at how serious Yoshimoto's tone was compared to before. He had never heard Yoshimoto sound so serious and wise before. "I'm honored that you think of me so highly Lord Yoshimoto, I'll try to live up to those expectations of yours. But I have one more question", Ren said. Yoshimoto raised his brow and said, "Ask away my nephew". Ren sighed and said, "Why is it that you wish to go to the capital? What is your goal in the end of all this?".

Yoshimoto closed his eyes and said, "That is a good question... As you know this land has been plagued by war and it seems the bloodshed has no end. The Shogunate has also proven to be too weak to lead in this time. I wish to end this once and for all so that everyone can live in peace. You know how it is so peaceful here in Kanto? I want to make it so that it is like this everywhere else in the land so no one has to be sad anymore".

"I see...", Ren said somewhat inspired by Yoshimoto's words. Yoshimoto then continued and said, "I am fully aware that this is a difficult path to take. First I must defeat the Oda and then the Miyoshi and Ashikaga in order to take the capital, and that is only the beginning of the hard work. That is why I need your help nephew, I can't do this without the Hōjō's aid. So I will ask you now, will you please lend me your strength for my dreams?". Ren smiled and said, "You didn't even have to ask Lord Yoshimoto. Family always help each other no matter what and we are family my lord".

Yoshimoto smiled at this and said, "Thank you my nephew, I look forward to working with you when the time comes. We will build a new peaceful world together!". Ren nodded and the two looked back into the night sky, enjoying the short moment of peace they had.

(The Next Day)

(Odawara Castle Front Gate, Kanto)

Yoshimoto was on his horse surrounded by several Imagawa soldiers ready to depart back to his home. Ujiyasu and the others were all there to see him off on his way home. "Well then I had best be off, take care everyone!". Yoshimoto said. Ujiyasu then walked up him and said, "All right Yoshimoto, see you later. Whenever you are ready to go, send us a letter and I'll send Ren and the men to meet up with you".

"Oh yes I will be sure to let you know when the time comes. Also my nephew, let's play again once we reach the capital!", Yoshimoto said cheerfully. Ren smiled and said, "I'm looking forward to it my lord". Kai then jumped in and said, "Hey I want to try it too!". Hayakawa then walked next to her and said,"Me too". Yoshimoto's face lit up at this and said, " Yes! We can all play together once this is over, I'm getting excited just thinking about it!".

With that the Imagawa Daimyō and his men began heading back to his home with the Hōjō all waving at him on his way. Once they could no longer see his figure, Ujiyasu turned around and said, "Alright then Ren, when the time comes you will lead the unit to assist Yoshimoto. You're the commander so you can take whoever you want". Hayakawa and Kai walked up to Ren with smiles and said, "Of course you're taking us along right?". Ren smiled and said, "Well even if I did say no, you two wouldn't listen anyway".

"H-Hey I want to come too!", Ujikuni said. Ren nodded and said, "Alright brother, anyone is welcome to come along". "I really want to go, but it's probably better that I stay here in case something happens", Ujiteru said with frown. "Yeah you never know what will happen with you all gone so I'm staying too", Ujinori said. "Yeah and I think it's best I stay in Odawara with Father", Ujimasa said slightly downcast.

Ujiyasu then said, "Well then that settles it. You should go around asking any officers if they can join you or not". With that everyone began heading back inside except for Ren who appeared to be deep in thought. Hayakawa noticed this and she took both of her hands and she held onto to his, surprising him. "Don't worry Ren, we'll do our best together okay?", She said with the warm smile that never failed to touch his heart. Ren smiled and nodded as they headed into the castle together.

(1 Month Later)

A large contingent of soldiers in red and black armor all stood ready in front of the gates. In front was Ren, holding his blade on top of his horse. Next to him were Hayakawa, Kai, Ujikuni and several officers who were all ready to advance. Ujiyasu and the others stood in front of them to see them off. "Alright boy, this is your first time leading an army so don't do anything reckless alright?", Ujiyasu said seriously. Ren nodded and said, "I know Father, I will make sure I don't disappoint you". Ujiyasu sighed and said, "That's not what I meant. Don't get yourself or your men hurt got it?". Ren smiled at his Father before looking forward with a serious face and said, "Alright everyone, we are to provide reinforcements for allies, the Imagawa! We will meet up with their Main Forces in Okehazama. Alright everyone advance!". With that order all the men raised their weapons into the air a cheered. They all then began to advance with great speed to meet the Imagawa forces which had already begun moving towards the capital. As Ren was riding forward, there was had an uneasy feeling inside of him. "(What is this feeling? For some reason I get a sense something bad is coming...)", he thought but brushed it off to concentrate on his task. "(Whatever it is. i'm sure Lord Yoshimoto can handle whatever comes his way)".

(Kiyosu Castle, Owari)

A large thunderstorm had appeared over the castle which only helped to further dampen the mood. The castle was filled with the anxiety of many men. Many of the soldiers in purple armor appeared to have lost all hope and several were slumped against the walls who were prepared to meet their end. "Hey did you hear that the Imagawa are advancing on the capital?", one of the soldiers asked. Another soldier replied", Yeah that means that they are going to come through here. I even heard that they had well over 20,000 men and not only that but he's getting aid from the Hōjō too...". "R-Really?! We only have 3,000... We don't have a chance...", a soldier said grimly.

Although it appeared that all hope was lost, in a dark room lit only by a few candles, one man in dark armor and had spike hair tied up stood there singing like it was nothing.

" _A man's life is but 50 years..."_

 _"A mere dream in the greater order..."_

 _"Yet some dreams last longer then others..."_

He was then interrupted when a man with brown hair and yellow armor with a flashy golden helmet entered his room and bowed before him. "Lord Nobunaga! The Imagawa have camped at Okehazama!", "Hideyoshi reported. A smile then appeared on the man known as Nobunaga's face when he heard this. "Monkey. Have the men prepare their armor and horses! This is where we end Yoshimoto's tale and begin a new age!"

 **And there you have it guys. So yeah I didn't like how in SW, SW-II and Spirit of Sanada didn't have any Yoshimoto stages at all. I played him in empires and to me, he has undoubtedly one of the funnest movesets in SW4 so I thought that he deserves a chapter and to be part of the story. As always leave a review or comment on what you think. Anyway what will happen next? Find out next time on Bonds of the Hōjō!**


	7. Breakthrough at Okehazama

**Hey guys EpicZL here with chapter 7! What will happen to the Imagawa? What is Nobunaga planning? What will Ren do? Find out right now in Bonds of the Hōjō!**

Chapter 7: Nobunaga's Assault, Breakthrough at Okehazama

(Hōjō Camp, Near Okehazama)

Due to a fierce thunderstorm, the Hōjō forces had to set up camp before they could meet up with the Imagawa main forces at Okehazama. In the commanders tent in the center of the camp, Ren sat at a table next to Kai, Hayakawa, Ujikuni and two officers who came along, Norihide Matsuda and Masashige Daidoji.

"This storm is really not letting up, I hope Lord Yoshimoto and his men are alright", Hayakawa said. They'll be fine. A little bit of rain isn't going to stop Lord Yoshimoto", Kai said reassuring her. Hayakawa nodded but then she noticed that Ren had a look of concern on his face. "Ren what's wrong?", She asked worried. Ren looked up and said, "I don't know, it's just that since we got here, I've been having this feeling that something bad is going to happen...". Norihide laughed and said, "Don't worry about it Lord Ren. It's probably just your nerves since it's your first time leading". Masashige nodded and said, "If its the Oda your worried about, then it's nothing. Lord Yoshimoto has already won the first several battles against them. Besides their leader is Nobunaga is known as the Fool of Owari. There is no chance a man like that can defeat the Imagawa and our combined forces".

Ren sighed and said, "I hope you're right". Right then a large crack of thunder could be heard and everyone turned to the opening in the tent where they heard some commotion going on outside. After a while a soaked young woman in very revealing armor stumbled in fell in and fell on her knees. She was panting heavily and was clearly exhausted. Everyone in the tent rushed over to her and Ren asked, "Are you alright?".

When she looked up, Ren was surprised to see tears in her eyes and a sad expression on her face. "Please, you must hurry! It's Lord Yoshimoto... he needs your help now!", she said with tears flowing down her face.

Everyone's eyes widened at her words and faster than anyone could believe, the Hōjō quickly left the camp and began racing towards Okehazama. Ren was at the head of the Hōjō army with the woman sitting behind him on his horse as they headed through the rain. Ren looked back and said, "Please forgive me but can you tell me your name, we haven't really had a chance to introduce ourselves". Naotaro's expression quickly changed to one of embarrassment and said, "I'm so sorry! That was so terribly rude of me! My name is Naotora Ii of the Ii clan in Enshu". Ren smiled and said, "There's no need for you to be sorry, We should have introduced ourselves first. My name is Ren and with me are my sister Hayakawa, my brother Ujikuni, and that's Kai. Anyway can you please explain what happened". Naotora nodded and with a sorrowful face, she began to tell them what had happened.

"Our forces were able to push the Oda back very rapidly in the first several skirmishes, and it seemed as though we were about to reach their main base at Kiyosu Castle. But then a large thunderstorm came so Lord Yoshimoto decided to let the men rest at Okehazama after capturing all the surrounding castles and garrisons". Her eyes then turned sadder, which Ren and the others noticed as she continued to the next part of her story.

"Just as our men settled down at the camp, the Oda army launched a surprise attack on our main camp from the nearby mountain by the camp. Their attack was so swift and powerful that our forces were completely disoriented and helpless as they attacked. The only ones that were left to protect Lord Yoshimoto were my father and Master Yasutomo but...". Her eyes then began tearing up before she continued. "My father tried his best to defend Lord Yoshimoto, but there were too many of them and he...didn't make it".

Ren's eyes softened and said, "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to force you to remember that". Naotora wiped the tears from her eyes and said, "No it's alright, As my father was about to succumb to his wounds he told me to go and find the Hōjō as quickly as possible". "What about Lord Yoshimoto? Is he alright?", Hayakawa asked worriedly. "I don't know, I immediately left to find you when my father told me to so I don't know the current situation. I'm so sorry for being so useless", Naotora said.

Ren shook his head and said, "No, if you didn't come to find us then the situation would've been far worse. You should be proud. Even after losing your father, you still had the strength to keep moving forward. I can tell that you are a really good person and I respect that a lot". Hayakawa and the others all nodded in agreement. Naotora quickly blushed and said, "N-No! I was just doing my job, I'm so sorry!". Everyone then lightly laughed at her shyness which greatly boostef their morale.

Ujikuni's face then turned serious as he said, "Um I hate to ruin the mood but we have Oda forces up ahead!". Everyone looked forward and saw a small unit of soldiers in purple armor that belonged to the Oda. Ren then pointed his blade into the air and yelled out, "Alright everyone, we are to break through the Oda forces and assist Lord Yoshimoto. All units advance!".

All the soldiers shouted in anticipation at the order as the large force rushed towards the Oda army. The Oda soldiers broke into a cold sweat as soon as they saw the Hōjō army charging at them. "It's the Hōjō! I can't believe they're here already, we have to warn lord-". He didn't get to finish his sentence before being cut down by Ren. The rest of the small unit tried to escape but were swiftly overrun by the much larger Hōjō force.

"Alright everyone let's keep moving! We can't afford to slow down now", Ren told his troops as they all yelled in agreement. As they neared the main camp, they saw a large force of Oda soldiers leaving the camp in a hurry to the opposite direction. Ren got worried and said, "The Oda forces are leaving? We need to hurry!".

(Please Lord Yoshimoto be alright...)

(Imagawa Main Camp, Okehazama)

Once Ren and his company reached the camp, they were shocked to see what was there. The camp was in complete shambles with several fallen Imagawa soldiers on the ground. What was surprising however was how few soldiers there were even among the fallen ones. "Where is everyone? There should've been several thousand men here, what happened?", Masashige asked.

After a while of looking around, they found two figures standing over a body in the center of the camp. The first was a short man in blue and silver armor with an exquisite helmet, who Ren recognized as Ieyasu Tokugawa who was one of the minor Daimyō under Yoshimoto. The other was a man in green armor with purple streaks as well as a green scarf with the Imagawa symbol on it. He had a green helmet that partially covered the top of his eyes and a short beard. In his hand was a tall spear covered in blood which showed that he had just been through a fierce battle. Ren's eyes then widened once he saw who it was that was lying on the ground. "Lord Yoshimoto!", Ren said worriedly as he and the others got off their horses and ran towards him.

Once they reached him, they could clearly see how bad the situation was. He had a large gash across his chest where a large amount of blood could be seen pooling below him. Luckily he was still alive which was confirmed with his heavy breathing a pained expression on his usually cheerful faceful.

"O-Oh nephew... I'm glad you made it", he said weakly while trying to put on a smile. Ren kneeled down next to him and said, "Please Lord Yoshimoto, you shouldn't speak, this is my fault for not getting here sooner...". The man with green armor then put his hand on Ren's shoulder and said, "No it's my fault, I should have better defended Lord Yoshimoto, by the time I drove off the Oda forces, Naomori had already fallen and Lord Yoshimoto was injured. I'm sorry Lady Naotora, if only I had been stronger...".

"No! It's not your fault Master Yasutomo... You fought harder than anyone here, it's thanks to you that things didn't become much worse and that my fathers death was not in vain", Naotora said reassuringly. Yasutomo was taken aback by this and smiled before looking to Yoshimoto. He already knew when he found him that Yoshimoto's fate was sealed and that the Imagawa would be in danger.

"Lord Yoshimoto... No matter what happens I will continue to stand by the Imagawa and protect it at all costs", He said determinedly. Yoshimoto slowly shook his head and calmly said, "Yasutomo I appreciate the thought but you know just as well as I do that the Imagawa are likely finished here. My son does not have the ability to lead our clan. You should follow your heart and do what you truly wish to do. A warrior of your ability and loyalty should not die along with this clan". Yasutomo frowned and said, "My lord...".

Yoshimoto then weakly turned his head to Ren, Hayakawa and Ieyasu who were on their knees beside him. "Ieyasu, remember what I said about a leader needing the strength to do whatever it takes to protect and lead his clan no matter the cost?". Ieyasu nodded and said, "Yes Lord Yoshimoto, I know but why are you telling me this now?". Yoshimoto gave a small laugh and said, "Isn't it obvious? I know that you are destined to go far Ieyasu and that you hold great ambitions within your heart, however you must become stronger in order to achieve those dreams. You must become greater and stronger than I or Imagawa to do so".

"My Lord, I could never think of turning on the Imagawa...", Ieyasu said hesitantly. Yoshimoto smiled and said, "Is that so?". He then looked at Ren and Hayakawa and began speaking. "I'm sorry my nephew and niece, I'm afraid we won't be able to enjoy that game in the capitol after all...". Ren shook his head and said, "Don't worry about it Lord Yoshimoto, I'm sure we'll be able to play together next time. Yoshimoto gave a small chuckle at this and said, "That sounds really nice but I know that it is not destined to happen nor will be dream be fulfilled. You must promise me one thing my nephew".

Ren looked at him in eyes and nodded before Yoshimoto continued. "Promise to look after your father and mother for me. They are truly kind, selfless people who do not deserve to be swallowed up by the chaos of the times. I truly love and respect the Hōjō for their strong sense of family and loyalty and that is something that truly makes you all unique in this time where men are willing to become demons against their friends and family to fulfill their ambitions. So please continue to protect your family and beliefs no matter what comes".

Ren nodded slowly with sorrowful eyes before suddenly Yoshimoto began coughing up blood. "Lord Yoshimoto!, Ieyasu and Yasutomo exclaimed as their lord began to look weaker and weaker as more blood flowed off his body. "It...looks like my time... is up. Such a pity too, that I...won't be around to...see the end of...this chaos". He then looked at Ren and Ieyasu and as his vision began dimming he began slowing speaking to the two of them. "I know... that the two of you... are destined to... change this land. I...truly...believe...so. As soon as he finished his eyes slowly closed and his body went limp, signifying the passing of the great lord of the Imagawa.

"Lord Yoshimoto...", Hayakawa said lowly as tears began to form in her eyes. Ren saw this and instinctively wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug in order to comfort her. Her eyes widened at this sudden action but soon she was relaxed by his warmth as well as his vanilla scent. Everyone closed their eyes in sadness and respect for Yoshimoto. They were interrupted, however by the sound of horses racing from far away. They were expecting them to come from the gates, however to their surprise, they saw two Oda soldiers rushing down from the cliff above the camp that the Oda had used previously to attack the Imagawa.

Yasutomo quickly grabbed his spear and yelled out, "Everyone get ready! The Oda are still coming!". The few remaining soldiers nodded as they rushed to their weapons. The Oda men laughed and atop their horses they yelled out, "Hah so this all thats left of the mighty Imagawa? I'll make sure to bring Yoshimoto's head back to Lord Nobunaga!". Ren heard this and then stood up while clutching his weapon. Right then faster than the blink of an eye, he sped right between both soldiers and gave a swift downward slash that seemed to hit nothing as the two soldiers kept going. Yasutomo, Ieyasu, and Hayakawa braced themselves as the Oda warriors came closer however both men fell off their horses right before they reached them with a notable slash wound right across both of their chests.

"(Amazing! What incredible speed and accuracy...)", Yasutomo thought astonished. Ren turned around and said, "We can't afford to stay here, with Lord Yoshimoto gone, we have to retreat and abandon this campaign". Yasutomo nodded and said, "Yes thats the most reasonable thing to do now, but our forces are completely scattered and I won't leave behind, not to mention our forces who are fighting for their lives at Nagarumi Castle". Ren thought for a bit and finally said, "Alright then, I'll go to Nagarumi and rescue them while Master Yasutomo, you should take care of everyone else. Hayakawa, you should go back and have everyone protect the escape route back Sunpu". Hayakawa nodded as she got back on her horse with the Hōjō forces and left the camp.

Ieyasu then got up and said, "I will go to Ōdaka Castle and rendezvous with my men so we can help any along the way". Yasutomo nodded as Ieyasu picked up his weapon and began riding off towards the southwest where his forces waited.

Yasutomo walked up to Ren and said, "I don't understand why you are doing this. With Lord Yoshimoto dead, you no longer have any obligation to help us and yet here you are ready to dive right.into the enemy army to save our men. Why are you doing this?". Ren smiled and said, "Lord Yoshimoto is family to me and that makes all the Imagawa my family too. How can I just leave my allies when they are in trouble like this. The least I can do is save his men and keep his clan safe". Yasutomo was truly amazed by his heart and his honored before nodding with a smile. Ren then looked at Yoshimoto's body and said, "Please make sure his body gets back to Sunpu for a proper burial...". Yasutomo nodded before Ren bagan heading towards Nagarumi Castle to the west.

(Nagarumi Castle, Okehazama)

(Play Lightning Strike-Okehazama(Imagawa))

Amidst the rains that showered the battlefield, one small castle could be seen being overwhelmed by the revitalized Oda army. Motonobu Okabe, Noritsugu Yamaguchi, and Monenobu Matsui, the three defenders of the castle, were all breathing heavily with barely enough strength left to stand. They were the only remaining men in the castle with their allies' corpses all lying around them. It was a testement to their attacker's strength who wtood before them.

"You three have fought well, but a lot is riding on us to win this battle", their assailant said. The man had a stern expression on his bearded face with hair tied into a short ponytail atop his partially bald head. In his each of his hands was a large and intimidating looking axe that at a glance anyone could tell that they held great force. This man was Katsuie Shibata, the Devil Shibata of the Oda.

"We... can't give up. We must avenge Lord Yoshimoto no matter what!", Motonobu said through his heavy breathing. The others were able to regain their vigor as they slowly stood up alongside him while tightly clutching their weapons. Katsuie got into his stance with his axes ready to strike and said, "Very well then, the Devil will send you straight to the afterlife with your Lord!". He then dashed towards them with the three generals bracing for the incoming attack. Just before he reached them, Katsuie saw an incoming light from the side of his eye. He quickly stopped and jumped back just before a long pillar of flames appeared between him and the Imagawa warriors. After the flames dissipated, Ren appeared and stood between the two sides with a look of determination on his face.

"Who are you boy? Why do you interfere in this battle?", Katsuie asked angrily. "The names Ren and I'm here to put a stop to you and the Oda", Ren said as he pointed his blade toward Katsuie. "You're from the Hōjō... You shouldn't be here this is our battle to fight", Noritsugu said weakly. Ren looked back at the three and said, "The Imagawa is our family so that makes it the Hōjō's battle as well. Besides if you all die here who will be left to protect the Imagawa? No matter what I will make sure everybody makes it back safely home". The three generals hesitated before reluctantly agreeing as they began retreating from the castle.

With them gone, Ren turned his attention back to the man in front of him. 'You are too naive child. This battle does not concern you or the Hōjō. Leave before you get yourself killed, I'd rather not stain my blade with the blood of a child". Ren smiled and as he released his Musou he said, "If this battle didn't concern us, we wouldn't have come in the first place, and just so you know, just because I'm young doesn't mean I can't fight".

Katsuie sighed before releasing his immense Musou. "Very well then if you truly wish to die so badly then the Devil will gladly send you on your way to the afterlife!". With that he clanged his axes together before charging at Ren. The young Hōjō warrior quickly reacted and as their blades met, a powerful explosion occurred that sent Ren skidding back several feet away. After regaining his balance he looked at Katsuie and thought, "(What just happened? The moment our blades touched that explosion came out of nowhere...)". Right then Katsuie began charging at him once more and as Katsuie raised his axes up, Ren jumped back before they descended upon him, causing a large explosion where they landed. "I see, so his Musou allows him to create powerful explosions upon contact. I need to avoid direct contact or else I'm finished", He said as flames started appearing around his body.

Flames then enveloped his short spear and with a swift swing of his blade, a wide wave of flames appeared and headed straight for Katsuie. Both Ren and Katsuie noticed however, that the flames were being slightly weakened due to the heavy rain. "You are clearly skilled, however you lack the experience to beat me!", he yelled as he raised his twin axes into the air. He then slammed them down on to the ground, creating two large sickle shaped Musou waves that cut straight through the wave of fire with little resistance. The two blade-like Musou waves then headed straight towards Ren who narrowly managed to evade them.

"(Damn it! This rain puts me at a disadvantage and his Musou waves are are too strong for my flames)", He thought while struggling to find a way to face his opponent. Katsuie saw his chance at that moment and lunged towards his foe. "Hesitation on the battlefield will be your end boy!". Ren snapped out of his thoughts just in time to avoid Katsuie's axes that were aimed at his head. He then delivered a flaming kick right at Katsuie's stomach which sent him skidding back several feet with a grunt.

Ren swiftly closed the distance between the two and jumped above the veteran with his blade ready to strike. Katsuie recovered just in time to block the attack with his axes, causing another powerful explosion that sent Ren flying back and landing on his back. "Ow...How am I suppose to fight him if I can't use physical contact and if my flames are too weak to break through his Musou?", He said as winced at the pain.

His eyes then widened as he remembered something important that Yoshimoto once told him. " _The key to battle my boy is focus it all into a single point"._ He then slowly stood back up and thought, "(Could that work? Well it's all I've got so might try!)". Katsuie ran towards him with all his might with his axes ready to claim their next victim. Ren closed his eyes before releasing more flames around his blade. He then launched another large wave of flames towards Katsuie only grew more aggravated at the sight.

"This again boy? If it didn't work the first time, what makes you think it will work now?!", he yelled as he slammed his axes down, creating two large Musou waves like before. Just as they broke through and dispersed the flames, it revealed Ren with an intense mass of flames that were compacted around his spear and lower arm that burned with an intense heat and light that instantly evaporated away any raindrop that got close. He then began running towards the two waves of Musou that were headed towards him and with a single powerful thrust of his spear, it met the two waves at the same time. Katsuie was then shocked as Ren effortlessly broke through both waves as if they weren't there in the first place.

"So that was just meant as a distraction so you could prepare that attack...pretty impresive, however it will all be for naught if you can't even reach me!", he said as he threw both of his axes. They flew towards both sides of Ren at amazing speed while rapidly spinning. Just before they landed, Ren gave a swift slash, hitting both axes away but at the same time causing a massive explosion greater than the ones before to ignite. Katsuie closed his eyes as his axes flew back into his hands and said, "Farewell young warrior, you can die with honor...". His eyes then quickly opened and he gained a shocked expression once he saw Ren appear from the smoke with minimal wounds and running towards him with his blade still engulfed in powerful flames. Katsuie then launched wave after wave of Musou to stop Ren but his burning spear easily pierced through each one easier than the last.

In an instant Ren closed the distance between the two and before Katsuie could react, Ren then drove his spear into Katsuie's side causing the flames to burst all at once that sent Katsuie flying towards a wall with a pained yelled. Once the smoke cleared Katsuie could be seen slumped against a cratered wall while tightly holding on to his bleeding wound. Ren was breathing heavily as he tried to catch his breath before a Hōjō soldier on a horse arrived and bowed before reporting, "My Lord! Most of the Imagawa soldiers have reached the rendezvous point, we should head back". Ren nodded and as he went towards his horse he was stopped by the sound of many soldier approaching from outside the castle.

"Old man!", a young man who held a large sword and had two spears on his back yelled as he rushed over to the injured Katsuie. This man was Toshiie Maeda who had recently been exiled from the Oda, but was granted permission to participate in the battle. After having the men tend to Katsuie's wounds, Toshiie pointed his sword at Ren and had his soldiers surround him before saying, "You've interfered long enough, this is the end of the line for you". Ren got into his stance as flames appeared around him as he prepared for battle until Katsuie weakly said, "Don't do it Toshiie...You'll die, let him go...". Toshiie couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had never once heard nor seen the Devil Shibata so wounded and he has never once told him to back away from a fight. He then looked at Ren, who seemed exhausted from his battle against the old man, but Toshiie could tell from the fierce look in his eyes as well as the state of Katsuie that he was no ordinary opponent.

"We have already fulfilled our task and won this battle, there is no need to get ourselves killed now that our lord's goal is complete", Katsuie said as the Oda warriors tended to his injuries. Toshiie hesitated before signaling his men to clear the path for Ren and his messenger. Ren and Toshiie stared at each other with fierce looks in their eyes for a while before Ren got on his horse and departed from the castle with the messenger.

"He is going to be trouble in the future, I just know it", Toshiie said before going back to Katsuie. Katsuie merely closed his eyes and said, "Perhaps but For now let us just focus on whats in front of us. This is just the beginning of our great lords ascent". Toshiie nodded before they began heading back towards the Oda Main Camp.

(Outside of Hōjō Camp, Near Okehazama)

Hayakawa and Kai were standing outside of the camp as the Hōjō soldiers were helping the Imagawa army that had made it back in order to prepare their retreat back to Suruga. Masashige then walked up to the two women and said, "My Ladies, most of the Imagawa are accounted for, our preparations to retreat are almost complete". Hayakawa nodded before saying, "Thank you Masashige, please have everything ready to go once everyone is here". Masashige nodded as he headed back into the camp.

She then looked over to back to Kai and noticed that she had a sad expression on her face. "Kai what's wrong?", Hayakawa asked worried about her friend. Kai then put on a weak smile and said, "It's just that I can't believe Lord Yoshimoto is gone...also look at whats become of his army". Hayakawa put her hand on Kai's shoulder and reassured her, "I know how you feel, I'm very sad about it too and I'm sure my mother is also going to be greatly saddened, but we have to help those who are still here. As long as the Imagawa have people like Master Yasutomo and Lord Ieyasu then I know they'll be just fine". Kai nodded with a smile and felt reassured by her lady's words.

The two then turned around as they heard several horses approaching. Yasutomo and Naotora had reached the camp with the Imagawa generals from Nagarumi Castle following behind them. "Master Yasutomo! Lady Naotora! You're back, did everything go alright?", Hayakawa asked. Yasutomo nodded before getting off his horse and said, "Yes we have rounded up everyone left including those who Lord Ren helped at Nagarumi Castle".

"We just need Lord Ren and Master Ieyasu and his men to get here then we can leave", Naotora said as she helped the remaining men into the camp. As Yasutomo and Naotora helped all the remaining soldiers into the camp, the two Hōjō women turned around as they heard steady footsteps approaching through the rain.

"So this is where the all the leftover rats of the Imagawa have gone", a feminine voice said. The two women pulled out their weapons as the figure grew closer and became more visible. Soon it revealed a tall, slender women with long black hair and a beauty mark on her face in a seductive looking outfit. She also possessed a sinister look on her face that sent chills down the two women. "Who are you?", Kai asked as she eyed the suspicious newcomer. The women smiled coldly before replying, "I am Nō and I'm here to make this battlefield into a living hell for my dearest". Hayakawa looked at her questioningly before asking, "Your dearest? Could you be talking about Nobunaga?".

"Hm, you're more than just a pretty face but too bad for you I'm going to have to shred that face up!", The woman exclaimed as long claw-like blades appeared from under her sleaves as she charged towards them. "Oh no you don't!", Kai exclaimed as she extended her sword towards Nō. Nō jumped up right before the blade slammed on to the ground and she landed on the extended sword before continuing to run skillfully along it towards Kai. She quickly reeled back her sword as she saw this and Nō swiftly jumped into air before she descended upon Kai with her claws. Kai swiftly met her attack, however Nō used her other blade to knock Kai's sword to the side, leaving her wide open for an attack.

Just before her claws could touch Kai, an orb of ice was shot at her by Hayakawa which knocked her to the ground over. "Are you alright Kai?", Hayakawa asked her friend with worry. Kai shot her a smile before saying, "Thanks my lady! You really saved me there, I won't slip up again!".

Nō slowly got up from the ground and wiped away the blood running down the side of her mouth before viciously exclaiming, "You two have really done it now... I be sure to cut you both to bloody ribbons for my darling!". In an instant, she rushed between the two and swung her claws at both of them which they each blocked in the nick of time. Right then a sinister purple aura appeared around Nō and then she spun at an incredible speed until it appeared like a swirling purple tornado of blades. Kai and Hayakawa tried to hold on to the fierce barrage with sparks flying from the sheer intensity of the clashes until it proved too much and both women were sent flying back with their respective weapons falling out of their hands.

Nō ceased her attack then began walking towards Hayakawa who tried to reach for her weapon before Nō stepped on her arm with her heel, causing the young Hōjō maiden yell out in pain. "My lady!", Kai yelled as she quickly picked up her sword and ran towards Nō in anger. The older woman saw this and used her Musou to materialize several bombs and threw them at Kai who jumped back just before they ignited. Kai was then completely surrounded by the smoke from the explosion and her field visibility was drastically reduced. She then saw a small glint of light and ducked, barely avoiding Nō's deadly claw blades which appeared from the smoke. Kai then extended her blade and slashed at smoke a full 360 degrees to try to strike her opponent. Her attack did not land, however it cleared all the smoke only to reveal Nō, who was only mere inches from her and had already prepared to attack her. Right then before Kai could retract her sword, Nō struck the handle of her sword, causing it to fly into the air. She then dashed at Kai, who had jumped back to evade her attack but she was still caught by Nō's deadly claws and was given a small cut across her leg.

"Ah!", she yelped in pain as she fell to the ground while clutching her leg. Nō then laughed as she licked the blood from her claw and said, "Hehe looks like you couldn't wait for your turn, very well then if you want to die so badly I'll happen grant your wish". "Kai!", Hayakwa yelled worriedly as she tried to help, but her wounds greatly reduced her speed so she could only crawl slowly towards her weapon.

"Don't worry I'll be sure to send you straight to your friend once I'm done with her", Nō said maliciously before turning her attention back to the wounded woman in front of her. "Now be sure to scream loudly for me", The older woman said maniacally as she moved her claw straight towards Kai's face, who could only close her eyes for whats to come".

"Oh no you don't!", an unseen voice yelled out. As Nō looked around, she was surprised to see a figure above give a powerful kick to her stomach that sent her reeling back. Kai slowly opened her eyes to see her savior, who was revealed to be a determined looking Naotora. "Lady Naotora, thanks a lot!", Kai said, happy to see the Ii clan leader. Naotora yelled got in her battle stance and exclaimed, "Ii clan precept! Always help your allies in battle!". Kai was a little confused by this but was thankful none the less.

Nō slowly got up from the ground with one hand clutching her stomach from the pain from the attack. Her eyes also held a great deal of anger as she let go and readied her claws and ser her sights on Hayakawa who was still on the ground. "Another one huh? Fine, but I'm no leaving before I turn this battlefield into an even greater bloody hell!", she yelled out as she ran towards Hayakawa. Both Naotora and Kai became fearful once they saw this because were fast enough to reach then on time

All four of them were shocked however when a large spear crashed in front of Nō like a lightning bolt. They all looked over to see Yasutomo, who had thrown the spear followed by Masashige who ran out with several archers from the camp. "Everyone protect the our lady! All units fire!", Masashige ordered as all of the archers began drawing their bows. They all then simultaneously fired their arrows up, resulting in a shower of arrows of that headed straight for Nō. In a single slash, she cut apart all of the arrows and then, sensing her disadvantage she said, "Looks like that will be all for today. You may get away now, but my darling will soon turn your lives into a living hell. Look forward to it". With that she began running off in the direction she originally came from. The archers began readying another before Masashige stopped them and said, "Let her go, we need to take care of Lady Hayakawa and Lady Kai first".

Right as Yasutomo and Naotora were helping the two Hōjō maidens up, Ren had returned to the camp on horseback. "Hayakawa! Kai! What happened?", he asked worriedly as he saw the state of the two. Kai gave him a smile and said, "Don't worry about it Lord Ren, we ran into a little trouble but Lady Naotora and Master Yasutomo helped us out". Ren breathed a sigh of relief and thanked the two for helping them. "Don't worry about Lord Ren, you helped our men greatly here, its the least we can do", Yasutomo said with Naotora nodding in agreement.

"Alright so are we ready to move out yet", Ren asked. Yasutomo shook his head and said, "We're still missing Master Ieyasu and the Tokugawa forces". Naotora had a worried look on her face as she said, "I really hope he's alright". A messenger clad in the Tokugawa blue armor then arrived at the camp. "You're one of Ieyasu's men, where is your lord?", Yasutomo asked. The messenger bowed and said, "Lord Ieyasu sent me here to tell you to go on ahead. He said he needs to settle matters with Nobunaga".

"Is he insane? Surely he can't be thinking of battling the Oda to avenge Lord Yoshimoto", Yasutomo said. Naotora then spoke up and said, "I heard that Lord Ieyasu and Nobunaga knew each other when they were younger, maybe he intends to meet with him". Yasutomo sighed and said, "Either way we can't stay any longer, I'm sure Master Ieyasu can handle himself. Let's begin mobilizing back to Sunpu". With that everyone began heading back into the camp except for Ren who was staring in the direction of the Oda. Two things worried him about the whole situation. First was the state of Ieyasu and the second was the mysterious and dangerous Nobunaga. "Nobunaga Oda... He's dangerous...", Ren said under his breath.

"Ren are you alright?", Hayakawa asked him worriedly from the camp. He snapped out of his thoughts before reassuring her, "Oh yeah, its nothing. I'll be right there". As Ren headed back into the camp, he was still unable to quell the uneasiness within his heart regarding the man who had made impossible possible.

(Music Stop)

(Oda Main Camp, Okehazama)

After the their great victory over the Imagawa, the Oda army within the camp was full of life due to the giant celebration thrown. The soldiers were all yelling, laughing and indulging in food and drink like never before.

Katsuie and Nō were both in a tent having their wounds taken care of while Toshiie stood guard outside with Hideyoshi and his nephew Keiji discussing his reinstatement to the Oda thanks to his contributions in the battle. Although Toshiie was greatly happy about this, he couldn't forget about the fearsome eyes of the warrior he encountered earlier at Nagarumi Castle.

One man, however was missing from the camp and it was the most important person there. The mastermind behind their victory, Nobunaga Oda, was nowhere to be seen. The man was in fact standing outside of the camp with a determined Ieyasu standing in front of him while pointing his spear cannon at him.

"It has been a long time Ieyasu... so have you come here to avenge Yoshimoto?", Nobunaga asked in an amused tone. Ieyasu glared at him and said, "Yes I have, I can't simply leave after you've killed my lord even if we are old friends. For Lord Yoshimoto, I will defeat you".

"So that's what you've come for...worthless!", Nobunaga yelled out suddenly which surprised Ieyasu. He then slowly walked towards Ieyasu and said, "The tree to which you have attached yourself had burnt to ash. What will you do next?".

He then was standing next to Ieyasu, who couldn't bring himself to move, and said, "Will you burn and wither away along with it? Or will you aim for even higher goals?". He then turned around and began walking back into his camp. "When you have found your answer, you know where to find me... haha...hahahahaha!", he laughed as grew further and further away.

Ieyasu could only stand there and while sweating he said, "I-I couldn't move... Master Nobunaga's gaze, his words, fixed me in place...". He then lowered his spear and closed his eyes. "He's right. We've lost our place in the world. What will the Tokugawa do now?". He was then approached by his two most trusted retainers, Tadakatsu Honda and Hanzō Hattori, who had served him faithfully for many years. Hanzō then replied to him, "Exactly what we've always done". The larger Tadakatsu then said, "We simply serve you, My Lord".

"Hanzō, Tadakatsu...", Ieyasu said surprised. "My Lord, Master Ujizane is the not the man Master Yoshimoto was. The Imagawa will surely fall into decline", Tadakatsu said with his usual serious tone. "Are you saying I should abandon them? Turn on my master? I cannot!", he said angrily as he turned around and headed back towards his camp. Once he was out of sight, Hanzō said, "He is still soft". Tadakatsu sighed and said, "His kindness is a virtue. However, he will need to become more ruthless from now on".

As Ieyasu neared his camp at Ōdaka Castle he began to contemplate the words of Nobunaga, Tadakatsu, and Hanzō. "(They are right, the Tokugawa's fate depends on what I decide to do in the days to come. Yet, can I turn on Lord Yoshimoto right after he has died?)". As he drew closer to the castle he then opened his eyes with a hardened look on his face. "For the sake of my ambitions and for the sake of my clan, I will bear this heavy burden".

(Odawara Castle, Kanto)-1 week later

After the battle at Okehazama, the land was in complete shock over the outcome. The man once known as the "Fool of Owari" had now been known as "The Demon King" due to his brutality and cunning on the battlefield after slaying one of the land's most powerful lords. This marked the beginning of a new age as Nobunaga began his ascent to power.

Aftwr returning to Sunpu, the Imagawa were in shambles, a mere shadow of their former glory. After Ren and the Hōjō left Sunpu after saying their goodbyes to Yasutomo and Naotora, Yoshimoto's son, Ujizane became the head of the clan. As he was not as talented as his father, the Imagawa clan quickly continued to weaken and lose their influence. Ieyasu and Tokugawa have been strangely silent on these matters and have done little to aid the young lord since his return.

After a long and silent journey home, Ren and the others had to report everything that had transpired during the battle to his mother and father. "H-He's gone?", Suikeiin asked unbelievingly as tears starting forming in her eyes. Ujiyasu's widened in shock for a brief moment before closing his eyes and putting down his pipe. He sighed then said, "You've all done a good job, get some rest".

Ren and the others nodded before reluctantly leaving the room. Once the door was closed Ujiyasu pulled his wife into a caring embrace as she cried into his chest. The sight of his wife being driven to tears broke the lion's heart as he hated to see his beloved wife in such pain. "(Damn it Yoshimoto...why did you have to go and die on your sister like this?)" He then turned his head and looked out the window. He saw a single dark cloud in the sky surrounded by the other bright ones. He stared intently at it as he thought, "(An omen huh? Nobunaga's appearance, Yoshimoto's death...so the times are changing. What does this mean for Kanto?)". He kept pondering these thoughts as the day began to draw to an end and with it soon a new era would begin.

(Later that night- Odawara Castle Training Grounds)

"Hah! Hah!", Ren exclaimed as he thrusted and slashed with his short spear around him. He stood alone in the training fields at night which was dimly lit by a few torches. He was sweating heavily as he had been at this for the past few hours.

Ever since they had arrived back from their mission, Ren has been feeling an unbelievable amount of guilt over the events that had transpired at Okehazama. Earlier after leaving Ujiyasu's room after giving his report, he stood outside with his back against the door as he heard his mother's quiet sobs. The sound made him clench his fists and bite his lip as he had never seen her in such a state.

Believing his own weakness and inability to be the cause of Yoshimoto's death, he began intensive training soon after. It eventually dragged in to the middle of the night as he so focused that he had lost track of time.

Soon he fell to his knees with his blade plunging into the ground from the exhaustion. "Hah...hah...is this... all...I can...do?", He said quietly between breaths with several beads of sweat dripping off his face. "Heh seems like you've working hard", a soft voice spoke.

Ren turned his head around to see Suikeiin walking towards him with a soft smile. Her eyes however were low and he could tell that she had not been able to get any sleep and that she had been crying recently. "Mother...", he said softly as he rose to greet her.

She pulled out a towl and started to gently wipe the sweat off of his face and said, "You've already been through a lot lately, you really should be getting some rest".

"I'm sorry it's just I've been a little restless is all", Ren said as she finished drying him off. "I understand but you should really take a break or else the next time you're needed, you'll be too worn out to be at your best", she said as she sat down on the grass and motioned for him to join her. He nodded before slowly taking a seat next to her. The two sat there in silence for a good while until Ren spoke up and said, "Mother I'm really sorry...". Suikeiin turned to look at him with a frown and asked, "About what?".

"For not being to protect Lord Yoshimoto... If only I had been stronger, I could have helped him and becuase of my weakness, your brother is gone and the clan you came from is in danger", he said with a pained voice with his eyes shut in frustration. He sooned opened his eyes after feeling a soft hand on his cheek. It was a feeling that he loved since he was first brought into the Hōjō and it was one that had always managed to ease his heart and soul.

"You really have grown up so fast... honestly for a boy your age to be blaming yourself about things like that", she said with a small smile. She then put her hand down and closed her eyes before continuing, "What happened was not your fault so please stop blaming yourself, Yoshimoto wouldn't want that and I know he certainly doesn't blame you. If anything, he would be so happy about what you did". He looked at her with a confused expression as she spoke.

"If you hadn't been there to help, the Imagawa would have lost everything that day. While it's true that my brothers death has brought a heavy pain upon my heart, I'm happy to see that the clan my brother and I grew up in still stands and even happier that you all came back home safely", She said as looked straight into his eyes".

"Mother...", he quietly said as she gripped his hand tightly. "Yoshimoto really liked you and he saw something great within you so he would want you to keep on moving for your dreams just like he did with his".

She then looked over to her side where Ren's blade was still sticking in the ground. She traced her fingers over the golden Hōjō symbol on the shimmering blade that reflected the bright moonlight. "Not everything in life will go the way we want it to, in fact most things don't go that way, but the important thing is to do what we can for ourselves, those we care about, and those who have already left".

Ren looked down at his hand for a moment before clenching it and looking back at his mother. "Yeah, you're right Mother... Theres no point in moping about what could have been. No matter what I do Lord Yoshimoto won't come back, but even so I have to keep looking after everyone as best I can, whether they are Hōjō or Imagawa, they are both still important to me".

Suikeiin gave a small laugh at his response. "Hehe you really are your father's child. I suppose I need to be stronger too. The longer I'm in this state, the more harder it is for those around me. I'll always miss my dear brother, but he wouldn't want me to constantly cry about this. I have family who are still here that I need to look after".

She then looked up into the sky and began reminiscing about her times as a child with her brother. "(Enjoy your rest brother, you've earned it. I'm sorry but I cannot join you for awhile, I still need to look after my family here)". Ren then sat next down next to her and the two began admiring the night sky with newfound hope and confidence.

"It sure is beautiful tonight isn't it?", Suikeiin asked her son.

"Yeah it really is...", Ren replied calmly with a smile.

As the two enjoyed the scenery of the night sky illuminated by the moon and stars, they were oblivious to being watched by a silent figure above. Sitting on the tiled roof of the castle, he had a clear view of the two as he silently watched with emotionless eyes. He was a young man around Ren's age with an average build and slightly shorter than Ren. He had cold purple eyes and silver white hair that was largely obscured by a ninja mask along with most of his face. He had light ninja armor(Think of Hayatori from Toukiden) that donned the red and black colors of the Hōjō with strange devices on his wrists that held hidden blades inside and several small arrows on top(Basically Yueying's DW8E weapon combined with Motonari's weapon).

Kotaro then suddenly appeared beside this person out of thin air the way he usual does. "So that's him?", the ninja asked coldly. Kotaro smiled and said, "Yes, you will be with him from now on".

The ninja then stood up and said, "Well, he doesn't seem like much but if that is what you want then I guess I don't really have a choice do I, master?

 **Ok, so first of all, let me apologize for the long absence. It's just that everything has really been against for past several months in school, work, and honestly just life in general. Luckily things have settled down so I can finally get back to this story so don't think I've given up! Well see you next time on Bonds of the Hōjō! (I promise I won't take so long this time :)**


	8. To Have a Heart of a Demon

**Alright guys, as promised I'm back! So you know the drill now, this EpicZL, welcome to Bonds of the Hōjō, new chapter, etc. So please enjoy this new chapter with a new OC who is described last time and now without further ado, heres the story!**

Chapter 8: To have a heart of a Demon

(Odawara Castle training grounds, Kantō)

"Come on Young Masters! Don't hold back!", Tsunashige exclaimed as he held a firm grip on his rune spear. Standing in front of him were Ujiteru, Ujikuni, and Ujinori who were all ready with their respective weapons. On the sidelines were Ren, Hayakawa, and Kai who were watching the four have their practice session

"So do you think they'll do it this time?", Kai asked. Ren crossed his arms and said, "Well Father said Musou is a fickle thing. It's different with each person so its really hard to tell".

2 weeks had passed since the battle of Okehazama and the in that time the land had undergone a great change. That great change was Nobunaga Oda, now known as Demon King. Since Okehazama, he has begun a swift path to power by advancing towards the capital of Kyoto. With the aid of the Azai and the Saika Mercenaries, every clan that stood in his path were swiftly crushed by his overwhelming power and brutality. Soon he occupied the capital and installed his own puppet emperor, immediately making him one of the most powerful forces in all of Japan.

With all of these events occuring, Ujiteru and the others thought that they needed to become stronger in case an attack came, so their solution was to try and achieve their own Musou. They had been trying to accomplish this by fighting against Ren, Hayakawa, Kai, and Tsunashige at full strength, although for the past week and a half there have been no sufficient results. This however did not discourage the brothers as they still continued to push themselves.

"Alright here we come Tsunashige! No holding back", Ujiteru yelled as he readied his sword. The three brothers stood in readiness, waiting for their chance to attack the mighty veteran. When they saw Tsunashige take a step, Ujikuni and Ujinori immediately charged towards him from both the left and right. Tsunashige first met Ujinori's spear with his own and the two engaged in a brief bout as Ujinori began rapidly thrusting his spear in which Tsunashige easily evaded each strike. As he was doing this, Ujikuni ran up behind him and prepared to slash him with his sword. Tsunashige quickly noticed his presence just before he came up and gave a swift kick which sent Ujikuni hurtling through the ground. Without missing a beat, he swiftly turned around and closed the distance between him and Ujinori while effortlessly making it past his spear thrusts to deliver a strong blow to the young Hōjō in his abdomen with the bottom of his spear.

With both brothers down, he turned his attention to Ujiteru, who he noticed was absent from the small clash. He looked over to see that Ujiteru was not where he was when the battle began before noticing his form above him. His spear then met with Ujiteru's long sword just before he could land a blow. The yellow clad warrior released his Musou from his body then quickly overpowered Ujiteru and knocked him further up into the air.

While still in midair, he pulled the rifle from his back and fired several shots toward Tsunashige, who proceeded to cut through all of the shots in a single slash. Right as Ujiteru landed, both Ujikuni and Ujinori had recovered and stood back up. The three brothers looked at one another and all nodded in understanding as the three simultaneously came at Tsunashige from three sides. Although Tsunashige was able to match each one blow for blow, the brother's tenacity and teamwork was slowly but surely starting to overwhelm him. Just as they broke his guard, the brother's wasted no time in thrusting their weapons at him at the same time.

With no other alternative, Tsunashige unleashed his full strength and with his speed and power maximized, he gave a lightning quick slash that quickly overpowered all three brothers, sending them all skidding back across the ground while also releasing a large amount of electricity throughout the training ground. The attack left all three brothers on their knees and panting in exhaustion.

See as that the battle ended, Kai stood up and yelled over to them and asked, "My Lords, did you feel anything?"

"No...not this time...either", Ujiteru said disappointingly while panting while his brothers shook their heads. Seeing the disappointed looks on their faces, Tsunashige walked up to Ujiteru and held out his hand to the young warrior. "You may not have awakened your Musou but each time we train the three of you improve greatly. You even managed to force me to use my Musou to hold you off so be proud, the three of you are excellent warriors", Tsunashige praised as he help Ujiteru up. At the same time Ren and Hayakawa each helped Ujikuni and Ujinori back onto their feet.

"Good work brothers, you did great", Hayakawa said sweetly. "Yes thank you sister!", the three brothers said simultaneously as the bowed to her. "Yes, do continue to train hard my lords, I'm sure you will all reach it one day", Tsunashige said with a smile before the three brothers bowed to him.

Afterwards, the group was about to start to clean up the training grounds but just before they could, Ujimasa ran up to them from the castle with a concerned look on his face. "Brother whats wrong?", Ren asked his brother with concern. "A messenger from the Imagawa arrived. Father wants all of you to meet him immediately".

"The Imagawa? This can't be good", Tsunashige said gravely before everyone started to head into the castle.

(Odawara Castle Main Keep, Kanto)

"No way...Lord Ieyasu has betrayed the Imagawa?", Kai said with a shocked expression. The rest of the room was silent as Ujiyasu was informing everyone of the situation. Ujiyasu sighed and said, "Yeah looks like that bastard Ieyasu has finally made his move. He's allied himself with Nobunaga and has moved his forces on Kakegawa Castle.

"What? Why would he side with the man that slew his former lord?", Hayakawa asked. "I had heard that Nobunaga and Ieyasu were old friends so maybe that played a part in it", Ren replied although he was still unable to believe that Ieyasu would betray the Imagawa.

"Yeah maybe, but when you think about it, It's far more advantageous to ally himself with the Oda than the Imagawa at this point", Ujiyasu said before standing up from his seat.

"Yes unfortunately my brother's son is nowhere near as talented a leader as he was", Suikeiin said quietly.

"Yeah ever since Okehazama, the Imagawa haven't exactly been doing very well and Ujizane isn't helping the situation. He's been showing favoritism to some of his retainers while completely ignoring others. Honestly if Ieyasu didn't come after him now then eventually that shady old man over in Kai will", Ujiyasu said.

"But did he have to try and exterminate his old lord's clan though? Couldn't he just leave them alone?", Kai asked angrily. Ren looked at her replied, "He most likely feels that if he's going to be Nobunaga's ally, he had better prove he can be useful".

"Still to think the man would turn on his clan so easily... does he have honor whatsoever?", Tsunashige said annoyed as he crossed his arms.

"It takes more than honor and loyalty to survive in these times. Sometimes people must harden their hesrts and become demons in order to achieve their goals. Nobunaga and Ieyasu both know this and are doing whatever it takes to realize their goals", Ujiyasu said as walked back to the group before continuing.

"That doesn't mean I'm going to let my nephew and his clan get torn up by these bastards though".

"Father does that mean...", Hayakawa asked hopefully. Ujiyasu looked at Tsunashige and said, "Go tell the Imagawa messenger to go back and tell my nephew to hold out as long as he can. We'll be there soon". Tsunashige bowed to him and replied, "At once my lord".

Ujiyasu then turned to the rest of the group and ordered, "Every else get ready, We're heading for Kakegawa Castle!". Everyone bowed at once and left to make their preparations.

(Ren's Room, Odawara Castle)

Ren was currently going through his room and making his preparations before they were to set off. It was a neat and tidy room that had few items within it that were lit with the light rays of the sun that came from the windows. Next to them was a sliding door that led outside to his balcony from which most of Odawara can be seen. Beside that on the other wall was a door that led to his bathroom. Back in his room his futon was laid out on the cool wooden floor with a small table beside it where he kept his various scrolls and letters. Next to it was a wooden stand where he kept the light black and red armor that he wore and next to it on the wall was where he kept his short spear along with a basic sword that most samurai possessed.

As he reached out to grab his spear, his senses picked up a strange presence in his room. At that moment he jumped to the side, narrowly evading an object that flew towards him and hit the wall. He looked over and saw that a the object was a small arrow that had pierced the wall. "Who's there?", He asked as he cautiously surveyed his room. He slowly moved to grab his spear but in that instant his unknown assailant appeared out of thin air kicked him down.

After recovering from the sudden attack, Ren opened his eyes to see his attacker raise his hand and a blade suddenly appeared out of his gauntlet. Ren rolled over just before the blade struck the ground where his head had been and before his opponent could pull it out, Ren gave a sharp punch to the side of his face which sent him sliding across the floor from the force.

"Your punch definitely packs a lot of power, I can barely feel the side of my face", the assassin said as he slowly got up and rubbed his jaw. Ren then got a good look at his attacker as he was recovering. He wore black and red ninja garments with the Hōjō's symbol on it and most of his head was obscured by a mask with only his cold purple eyes and some silver hair visible. He also noticed his unusual weapons which appeared to be some kind of gauntlets that held short blades within them and had what appeared to be a small kind of crossbow mechanism on top with three of the same kind of arrows as before on each arm.

Just as he looked back up, he was surprised to see that his attacker closed the distance between the two of them in an instant with his blade mere inches from his face. Ren quickly grabbed a hold of his arm just before it reached it's intended target and then he used all his force to throw the ninja over his shoulder onto the ground. Just before he hit the floor however, he suddenly vanished into thin air. He didn't have any time to be surprised as his attacker suddenly reappeared behind him and kicked him with both legs causing him to hit the wall with a grunt.

The ninja then lunged towards Ren with incredible speed with his blade aimed right at his neck. Ren recovered just in time to see his attacker go after him and noticing where he landed, he quickly reached his hand up and grabbed the hilt of the sword that was hanging above him. He then quickly pulled out the blade and using the flat side, he stopped the attack merely inches from his face. The assassin then jumped back and carefully examined his opponent as he took a defensive stance with his sword. After several seconds of complete stillness, the ninja jumped forward and began moving around the room at such speed that only the narrow dark red light of his Musou could be seen. Ren was forced to block countless red slashes from all sides with only a fraction of a second between each strike.

"(He's too fast... I won't be able to keep this up for much longer. I didn't want to do this in the castle but I have no choice)", he thought as he was beginning to become overwhelmed by his opponent's incredible speed. After several dozens more clashes between the two, Ren's movements began to slow down. "(Hmph, he has this little stamina? Looks like he doesn't deserve his reputation after all. Might as well finish this now)", The ninja thought coldly. He then appeared behind Ren and thrusted his blade that was imbued with his dark red Musou using all of his force witht he intent to kill. "This is over", he said disappointedly at his opponent as he prepared ro finish him off.

"Yeah it is"

The ninja's eyes widen as suddenly in the blink of an eye, Ren had turned around and with one swift burning slash, knocked aside the ninja's blade and shattered it in half with the unexpected force of the attack. Wasting no time, the ninja shot all three arrows from his gauntlet, each with increased speed due to his Musou. Ren quickly ducked with arrows just passing by mere inches from him and then he rushed towards the ninja, leaving a trail of flames behind him.

Ren then appeared right in front of the ninja, and before he was able to do react at, Ren sent a powerful flaming elbow into his stomach. The ninja then yelled in pain as he sent flying through the door from the force and into the adjacent wall across from Ren's room. Once he was on the ground, he attempted to weakly get up only to realize that there were two blades on either side of his neck. One from Ren's sword and the other was his spear which he had grabbed before coming out. Behind them was a considerable amount of flames which threatened to spread throughout the castle.

"Alright now, who are you and why are you here?", Ren asked seriously. The defeated ninja was about to speak until they heard several people run towards them.

"Hey now what's going on here?", Ujiyasu asked as stomped out a flame. "Didn't I tell you not to play with fire in the castle?".

"Forgive me Father, it's just that I found this enemy in my room and I had no choice but to fight", Ren explained still keeping his weapons at his opponent's neck.

Ujiyasu then looked at the ninja while to motioning his men to put out the flames. "Alright then so who are and why are you did you attack my son?", Ujiyasu asked roughly as he crouched down next to him.

"Hold on Ujiyasu", a familiar voice said.

Behind Ujiyasu, Kotarō appeared from thin air with his usual smirk and said, "He's with me". Ujiyasu stood back up and sighed. "I should have known. So this is the one you were talking about?"

Kotarō nodded then Ujiyasu gave another long sigh and said, "Alright boy, let him go". Ren gave a questioning look towards his father before he pulled back his weapons. The ninja slowly lazily stood up while rubbing the still hot and sore are on his stomach. "Geez Master, you weren't kidding about him being tough, I haven't felt this rough in a while", he said lazily. Kotarō smirked and said, "You underestimated your opponent and got what you deserved. Besides don't you think you should be saying something else?". The ninja then turned around and bowed at Ren. "Forgive me for my impudence My Lord. I wanted to see how strong you were but I got too carried away", he said sincerely.

Ren was shocked at the response from the one mere minutes ago was trying to claim his life. "Wait hold on what's going on here?", Ren asked unable to grasp the situation. "This is Kotarō's student, from here on out he will be serving as your personal ninja", Ujiyasu explained.

"His name is Ryuto Fuma, He's skilled but I decided that this little birdie needed more experience so I thought that this will be beneficial for both of you", Kotarō explained.

"I really wish you would stop calling me that", Ryuto huffed with his arms crossed. Once Ren had processed everything, he quickly put his weapons down and bowed towards Ryuto. "I didn't realize that you were my ally, I hope you can forgive me for attacking you", he said seriously.

Ryuto was surpised at this response and quickly bowed back at him and said, "No my lord, I was the one at fault. Please raise your head", Ryuto pleaded. "(What a strange guy... I tried to kill him and now he's the one apologising to me...)".

"Alright enough with the introductions, we need to leave in an hour, get ready by then", Ujiyasu said before walking off.

"I need to go do some maintenance on my gauntlets so please excuse me, My Lord", Ryuto said as he bowed to Ren before leaving.

"He's pretty good, but he's quite a handful. Good Luck", Kotarō said sarcastically before beginning to fade away. "Wait! Hold on, what do you mean?", Ren asked but Kotarō had already disappeared.

"(Sigh) I can see why Father is always so annoyed by him", Ren said as he was left to ponder over Kotarō's words.

(Odawara Castle Front Gates)

At the front of the gates stood Ujiyasu on his horse in front of the army. Behind him were Ren, Hayakawa, Kai, Ryuto, Kotarō, and the other Hōjō siblings. Standing next to the army were Tsunashige and Suikeiin who were seeing them off.

"Hey you! I heard that you tried to hurt Lord Ren ealier!", Kai pointed accusingly at Ryuto who was completely silent. "Don't worry about it Kai, he was just trying to see what I was like thats all", Ren laughed slightly as he tried to calm his friend down. Kai, clearly not satsified, said, "If you try anything like that again, I'll beat you to the ground!". After a few more seconds with no response from Ryuto, Kai smiled happily and exclaimed, "Yeah thats right! You should be scared! Don't worry Lord Ren, I'll keep him in line".

"Hmm? Did you say something?", Ryuto said lazily as he finally turned around. Kai glared daggers at him once she realized what he had been doing. "You jerk! You did that on purpose! Once I get my hands on you I'm gonna-"

"HEY QUIT YOUR BICKERING BACK THERE!", Ujiyasu yelled angrily which instantly made the two bow their heads to him while everyone else gave a light chuckle. Ujiyasu sighed before turning back to his wife and Tsunashige. "Tsunashige, look after things here while I'm gone".

"Yes my Lord, I promise nothing will happen under my watch", Tsunashige said as he bowed to him. "Please be careful alright?", Suikeiin said softly to her husband which made him smile. "Don't worry, I'll be fine and I'll make sure to protect your home. I could never face your brother again if anything were to happen".

Suikeiin nodded before telling her children to look after their father to which they all smiled and promised that they would. "Alright boys! We're off to rescue that useless nephew of mine! Advance!", Ujiyasu shouted as he began riding off at full speed. Ren and others immediately started to ride after him as they rushed full speed towards Kakegawa Castle.

(Kakegawa Castle, Tōtōmi)- 2 days later

"Phew! We finally made it!", Kai said relieved as she got off her horse and began stretching. "Yeah and thankfully the Imagawa are still holding on", Ujiyasu said noticing the Tokugawa troops who were still positioned around the castle.

"Alright now to figure out the best way to break into the castle", Ujiyasu muttered while rubbing his chin, but he was taken out of his thoughts when he heard footsteps approaching them.

"Halt! Who are you!", Two guards yelled simultaneously as they pointed their spears at the person. "Whaah!! I'm so sorry!", the intruder yelled as she fell down in surprise. Once everyone reached where the scream came from, Ren, Hayakawa, and Kai quickly relaxed and smiled upon realizing who it was. "It's alright everyone, she's a friend", Hayakawa said, motioning to the men. After the soldiers lowered their weapons, Kai walked over and helped Naotora up.

"So Lady Ii, what's the situation in the castle?", Ujiyasu asked after she regained her composure. "Oh yes, thats why I'm here. The Tokugawa have already entered the castle in waves and are really pushing us back Master Yasutomo is holding out as best as he can but I don't know how much longer he can last. Lord Ujizane came with reinforcements from Sunpu but...", Naotora looked to the side.

"(Sigh), he's not very useful now is he", Ujiyasu said as he rubbed the back of his head.

"No he's not... many more have even defected to Ieyasu's side and it looks like there's going to be many more... I just can't believe so many would just do that", Naotora said sadly.

"Well then what's your next move Lady Ii? There is certainly no future left with the Imagawa", Ujiyasu said which caught Naotora off guard. "Ah... You certainly get right to the point, don't you... I don't really know what to do now. I owe a lot to the Imagawa, I don't know how I could ever turn on them like that...".

"Well we are about to fight Ieyasu, too, who also owes much to the Imagawa. Yet now he is mercilessly trying to crush them. The same goes for tricky old Shingen. He's killed his own son and will soon march upon the capital and the Imagawa are directly in his path. This chaos creates hard-hearted demons everywhere, and the resolve to become one seems to be a requirement in getting anything done. Just think about that when the time comes for you to make a choice alright?", He said looking seriously at her.

"Yes I will, thank you for the advice", Naotora said, who still had a conflicted look on her face. "Aaahhhh! I hate demons, with a passion! Let's get in there and show them a lesson!", Kai yelled out angrily that made Naotora yelp in surprise. "Although there's still folk like her, too...", Ujiyasu said with light laugh. "Uhm Naotora, do you know how we can get into the castle?", Hayakawa asked. Naotora recovered and pointed to the side of the castle that she came from. "Most of the enemy are already at the other gates so there weren't many men at the southern gate. We can enter from there".

"Alright then. Everyone, we're goin in!", Ujiyasu yelled as he got back on his horse and charged towards the gate.

(Main Keep, Kakegawa Castle)

"Alright it's up here", Naotora said as she led the way up the stairs until they reached a large room at the top with large windows that overlooked the entire castle. "Lord Ujizane? Where are you?", Naotora yelled out as two of the guards in the room sighed and motioned towards the desk where the leader would ordinarily sit. "Lord Ujizane?", Naotora asked as she approached the desk. She soon saw a figure who was crouched beneath the desk. As soon as Naotora made eye contact with him, he jumped from the table with a yelp.

"Ahhh! The enemy is here!", Ujizane yelled as he back away from the group. Ujiyasu stepped forward and lifted him by his collar to try and calm him down. "Hey kid control yourself, it's just us".

"Huh? U-Uncle! You came, oh thank goodness", Ujizane said upon realizing who it was with tears in his eyes. "That's really Lord Yoshimoto's son?", Ujiteru whispered to his siblings. "Yeah that's the one that Lord Yoshimoto tried to get our sister to marry", Ujikuni whispered back. After a short pause, all of the brothers as well as Kai began to laugh. Ren tried to cover his mouth to stop himself from laughing, but even he could not control himself and began bursting out loud much to Hayakawa's annoyance who was pouting at her siblings.

"Oh Uncle thank goodness you came! Those Tokugawa traitors are all over the castle and Yasutomo's trying to stop them but I'm so afraid they get here soon and-"

"Alright! Calm down! We can handle this, just stay here and don't cause any trouble", Ujiyasu said annoyed. Ujizane quickly bowed to him many times before running back to his seat. Afterwards Ujiyasu turned back to everyone while putting his pipe in his mouth. "Alright time to move out. Meet up with the other Imagawa soldiers and decide what to do from there. I will stay here and look after Ujizane". Everyone bowed and quickly began moving throughout the castle.

"Alright first we should meet up with Master Yasutomo, he shouldn't be too far from here", Ren said as he was running in front of everyone. Everyone quickly nodded as they continued running beside him.

After reaching the corridor outside of the Main Keep, they saw Yasutomo who appeared to have just taken out a small Tokugawa unit. "Oh Master Yasutomo, you're alright!", Naotora said gladly. "Ah Lady Naotora, you're back. I see that the Hōjō are here with you, please allow me to thank you from the bottom of my heart for coming to help us once again", Yasutomo said as he bowed his head towards them before being stopped by Ren. "Don't worry about Master Yasutomo, you are family as well remember so this is nothing".

Yasutomo gave a light chuckle. "Heh indeed, even so I am truly grateful.

"So Master Yasutomo, what's the situation like right now?", Naotora asked.

"Well as you can see, it has become quite bad around here. After several of our officers started defecting, pur forces fell into complete disarray. Some of hem have already begun to reach the Main Keep".

"Things are not looking good... Ren what should we do?", Hayakawa asked Ren whose eyes were closed as he was thinking about the situation.

"There still a chance we can win this. Since the Tokugawa haven't started swarming here yet, that means that their forces are still struggling on the lower floors. If we can break through their lines there and reach the enemy main camp quick enough then we should still be able to pull this off", Ren explained.

"Hm yes that makes sense, I would like to go help but I must stay here and protect Lord Ujizane", Yasutomo said with a sigh. Right then a messenger ran up to Yasutomo in a panic. "My Lord! Ujitoshi Sena and Munemasu Kunō have defected to the Tokugawa! They opened the gates for them and now the enenmy is pouring into the second floor!".

"Damn it... that gate leads straight to the Tokugawa main camp. Now the enemy is going to keep coming in even greater numbers".

"This might not be a bad thing actually... Now the path to their main camp is open and most of the men defending it are now gone. If we can break through their forces fast enough, we should be able to catch Ieyasu off guard", Ren said.

"Alright! Let's go teach em a lesson!", Kai exclaimed which once again scared Naotora. "Brother's, can you all go and take care of the third floor?", Ren asked to which all four of his brothers smiled and nodded before running off towards the stairs leading to the third floor.

"Hayakawa, Kai, Naotora and I will head towards the Tokugawa main camp and take care of the traitors along the way". All three lady's smiled and brandished their weapons as they stood by Ren, who they were waiting to follow. "Kotarō, can you and Ryuto go-", Ren stopped after seeing that his new ninja was missing from the group.

"Looks like he ran off alone again", Kotarō said nonchalantly. "Again? You mean this isn't the first time?", Hayakawa asked worriedly.

"Hehe of course not. He's been doing this for as long as I remember. As soon as he hears about his target and location, he bolts off to try and finish the job", Kotarō said with his usual trademark smile.

"(Sigh) this is what you were talking about earlier weren't you? I just hope he'll be alright", Ren said worriedly. "Don't worry I'll take care of the little birdie and I'll be sure to knock some sense into him", Kotarō said as he vanished into thin air.

"Well I guess I'll leave it you then... Alright everyone let's go! We don't have anytime to waste!", Ren said as began to run towards the stairs with the three ladies following behind him.

(Minor Keep, Kakegawa Castle)

(Play Whirlwind)

"Sadakage! Are the men ready yet?", A general clad in the Tokugawa armor asked. The general known as Sadakage Suganuma ran up to him and reported, "Yes general Naotsugu, the men are all in place. We just need to wait for the enemy to make their move".

A small battalion of Tokugawa soldiers were in front of them lying in wait as they kept watch towards the direction of Tokugawa main camp gates. "Shouldn't we be worried about enemies from the Main Keep? If the come across the ledge at the top, they'll be able to see our forces in hiding", Sadakage asked as he motioned to a ledge high up that led to the Main Keep.

"Don't worry about it. Lord Ieyasu already thought ahead for that. First that ledge is too high up for the enemy to launch an attack on us. Second the Imagawa forces are already stretched thin so it's doubtful they will have the chance to check it", Naotsugu explained.

"Oh is that right?"

The two generals quickly looked back up at the ledge at the sound of that voice and saw the lone Ryuto standing on top.

"I thought I smelled something strange coming from here and what do you know? Not only that but you are right in my path to the Tokugawa main camp so even better", Ryuto said as the blades from his gauntlets popped out.

"Hey! Who are you?!", Naotsugu asked as he unsheathed his sword followed by Sadakage doing the same. After that a number of the ambush troops came to the generals sides and prepared to face their unknown attacker.

"I don't think there's much point in telling you since..."

Ryuto then suddenly appeared in the middle of the group of soldiers. "...You're already finshed". With that the soldiers around him suddenly fell to the ground with noticeable slashes across their necks. "D-Damn... he's strong", Sadakage said nervously as he saw that most of their ambush unit had been cut down in the blink of an eye.

"We have no choice, the ambush has failed. There's no point in fighting a worthless battle. All we can do now is return and reinforce the main camp. Everyone fall back!", Naotsugu ordered as he and the remaining troops ran towards the entrance to the Tokugawa main camp.

"Really? That's all you've got? Here I thought this would be more of a challenge... Well I guess I might as well keep going and take old Ieyasu's head", Ryuto said boredly as he prepared to set off again. He was interrupted however when Kotarō suddenly appeared in front of him. "Not so fast little birdie", Kotarō said.

"Master? What are you doing here?", Ryuto asked although he already knew the answer. "You ran off without orders, you know that's not what a ninja is supposed to do", Kotarō said crossing his arms.

"I don't see what the problem is. We know where Ieyasu is already and this battle will end if we kill him so wouldn't it be easier if us ninja just went and did that?".

Kotarō chuckled, "A battle is not as simple as some assassination mission you know. If you rush in there blindly, you're only going to get yourself killed and others hurt. Not only that but your mission is to look after your master so if you just run off, who's going to look after his back?".

"Lord Ren's more than strong enough to take care of himself. Besides so what if a few people end up getting killed? This the battlefield so it's inevitable. As long as our commander is safe and their's is dead, in the end we win so what if disposable units like me are killed?", Ryuto said coldly.

Kotarō sighed. "You still have a lot to learn little birdie. That's why I put you with the Dragon so maybe one day you can soar alongside him, but for now you still need to grow. You are going to wait outside the gates for him and the others before going into the main camp, understood?".

"(Sigh) I guess I have no choice do I? Alright I'll wait for them but I still don't see the point of this", Ryuto said tiredly to which Kotarō gave another light laugh.

"Don't worry about it little birdie, I'm sure you'll get it soon enough", Kotarō said as he vanished once again leaving an annoyed Ryuto to stand there and sigh.

"I really wish you would stop calling me that"

(Tokugawa Main Camp, Kakegawa Castle)

"So the Hōjō have arrived, I was hoping to finish this before they came but I did not expect the Imagawa loyalist to fight back so fiercely", Ieyasu said as he was sitting down and looking at a map of the layout of the castle.

Just then a messenger ran up to Ieyasu and reported, "My Lord! Generals Naotsugu and Sadakage have returned". Ieyasu looked surprised and motioned the messenger to send the generals in. The two quickly walked in and bowed before Ieyasu.

"Why are the two of you here? Shouldn't you be preparing the ambush?", Ieyasu asked. "My Lord, the ambush was discovered by a ninja but he was no ordinary one, he single handedly took out half of our unit. We had no choice but to retreat, but we still failed our mission so we will take whatever punishment you'll give us", Naotsugu said as he bowed his head to the ground in shame.

"Hm, a powerful ninja you say. It was likely one of the Hōjō's Fuma ninja, they are quite skilled from what I heard. It's alright, there was nothing you could do. For now let your men rest for a little and then join up with the other units and keep attacking the castle", Ieyasu ordered.

"But my lord, shouldn't we stay and strengthen the defenses in the south of here? There are almost no men at all there and if the Hōjō and Imagawa break through our lines there will be nothing stopping them from overrunning the camp!", Sadakage said worriedly.

"Don't worry you two, I have already taken the proper measures to defend the south. As long as he is there, no one will pass through, no matter how many they bring".

"He? You don't mean...", Naotsugu then immediately realized who his lord was referring before losing all his doubts about the camp. "Very well then we shall do as you say my lord", Naotsugu said as he and Sadakage bowed before heading off to make their preparations.

Ieyasu then sat back down in his seat before looking up at the roof. "Alright then, let us see the full extent of the Hōjō's strength. This battle shall help us see how great a threat they shall be in the future..."

(Second Floor, Kakegawa Castle)

"General, It appears the other Imagawa generals are busy at other areas of the castle and the Tokugawa forces are going to reach here soon. Should we defect as well? ", An Imagawa soldier reported.

The Imagawa general Yukitsuna Matsuhita, who was in charge of defending the second floor paced back and forth weighing his options as the Tokugawa forces drew closer from the first floor. "Hmm... It's definitely the smart thing to do here, but I can't just defect yet. I need to bring others with me, to show Ieyasu my worth... Hurry and try to convince the other generals on the east of third floor. I will stay here and greet the Tokugawa forces".

"Yes general!", the soldier replied as he ran towards the stairs leading to the third floor. "Alright now I want everyone else to get ready to welcome the Tokugawa", he commanded to his troops. "(Heh, with this Ieyasu is sure to give me a high position in his army. I can't wait!)". As was snapped out of his thoughts however, when something hit the ground behind him with a loud thud. He turned around and was shocked to see it was his messenger that he had just sent. He was already dead with a large slash through his chest that was gushing out large quantities of blood. He then looked to the staircase where he heard several footsteps from.

"Trying to incite more traitors huh? Sorry, but we can't afford to let you do that"

Yukitsuna started to sweat once he saw Ren, Hayakawa, Kai, and Naotora walk down from the staircase followed by a good number of Hōjō and Imagawa soldiers.

"(What?! The Hōjō are here?! Damn I didn't expect this... Since things have already come this far...)", Yukitsuna thought as he unsheathed his blade.

"Master Yukitsuna... you would betray us too?", Naotora asked, clearly hurt to see another retainer turn their backs on the Imagawa.

"The Imagawa are finished. Even if they survive this battle, they will have no future. That is why the only way to secure mine is to claim your heads now for Ieyasu!", He roared as he and his men charged towards the group.

"Looks like he's determined to do this then. We have no choice but to fight", Ren and others ran towards them, ready to fight. Ren quickly dispatched the first two soldiers with a single slash, then he jumped up and used another soldiers head to spring him self further into the air. The soldiers all looked at each other and had the same idea at this. They all raised their spears up at once so as to try and skewer him when he landed. To their surprise, Ren began spinning rapidly and he effortlessly cut all of the heads of their spears off. Without their weapons to defend themselves with, they were all quickly cut down by his swift attack by the time he landed back down.

Meanwhile Kai extended her sword to wrap around an enemy and began swinging him into the air. As the others drew closer, she swung him back down at them and with a loud scream, he crashed down on the group creating a large impact that took out all of them.

The remaining soldiers charged at Hayakawa and Naotora who were standing side by side ready to fight. Hayakawa created a wave of ice that blew away most of the men while the lone Yukitsuna jumped over them with burning determination. "I won't be killed here! No matter what, I will win this battle!", he roared as he drew closer to the two women. Naotora then felt a wave of determination appear from within her as she jumped up into the air faster to Hayakawa's surprise.

"No! I won't let you! Ii family precept! Never turn your back on your friends in the middle of a battle!".

She was suddenly enveloped by a pink aura as she landed a lightning fast kick in Yukitsuna's stomach which made him spit out in pain as he dropped his sword. She then launched a barrage of of powerful kicks that sent ripples of pain racking through his body making his eyes roll to the back of his head before finally landing swift roundhouse kick to the side of his face. The strength of her kick sent him crashing straight through a wall to the shock of everyone in the room.

"Yeah that's our lady for you!"

"Theres no way he's getting up after that"

"Way to go Lady Naotora!"

Several of her men were cheering her on much to her embarrassment. "Oh, did I go overboard again...?", Naotora said embarrassingly as she saw the destruction she caused in the castle. "Wow that was amazing Naotora! You have to show me how to do that sometime!", Kai exclaimed.

Ren gave a light smile at their playful interaction before he caught the sound of a large number of footsteps from the stairs that led to the first floor.

"I think we're going to need to save that for later", Ren said the Tokugawa vanguard made it onto the second floor.

"It's the Hōjō! Everyone attack!", their commander yelled as the swarm of soldiers started running towards them.

Flames then appeared in Ren's hand as the whole room became much hotter. "We don't have time for this, move aside"

(Kakegawa Castle Courtyard)

Ryuto gave a loud yawn as he stood before the gates of the Tokugawa main camp. "Man, do I really have to wait until they get here?"

Ryuto gave another sigh before muttering, "Well I guess orders are orders...". He continued to tap his foot against the ground in impatience as he looked to his left where a gate led to the staircase of the second floor was held.

He was then caught off guard by a large swarm of flames coming down from there a with it scattering a number of Tokugawa troops on the ground. Seconds later Ren and the others came down after them.

"Oh Ryuto, there you are! I've been worried you know?", Ren said, relieved to see his ninja was alright.

"How could you just run off like that without waiting for your orders?!", Kai yelled only to be ignored by Ryuto.

"Sorry it's just that in the time you were giving out orders, I simply thought it was most efficient to go after Ieyasu and finish him off as quickly as possible but Master ordered me to wait so I really had no choice".

"Well try not to do that next time alright? I really don't want anything to happen to you", Ren said with a smile. "I'll do my best", He replied with a bow.

"Alright the main camp is right there! Let's go!", Kai ordered as most of the soldiers began charging towards the open gate.

"My lord, there's been something bothering me about this whole battle...", Ryuto said while putting his hand on his covered chin.

"What is it?"

"Well on the way here I encountered an ambush unit that was supposed to spring in when our forces reached this point, however it was a very small one with only a few tens of men. Also when I got here earlier, there were practically no guards in place. I'm no expert in military strategy, but even I can tell something's not right here...", Ryuto said.

"Yeah I noticed that as well... The Tokugawa has been applying a lot of pressure on the frontlines in this battle. Even with the defectors included, it's not as if the Tokugawa have a large number of men to sustain such an attack for long. Ieyasu is no fool either, he wouldn't just keep his main camp undermanned just to maximize his frontline str-"

"Ahhhhhh!!!!"

Ren was shaken out of this thoughts as he looked over in the direction of the main camp where loud screams were heard from his men. Suddenly a large impact hit the ground with sound of thunder as he saw countless soldiers in had been sent into the air.

Soon the all started coming down like rain and Ren and the others saw that the had all been killed from the attack. They looked over to the gate and saw a figure steadily approaching them from the dust.

(Play Tadakatsu)

Suddenly the air around them felt much heavier and they were able to feel a surge of incredible power. "W-What us this? It feels hard to even stay up...", Kai said as she winced from the sudden pressure in the air.

"This power... what on earth is this? I've never felt anything so strong before...", Ren said with worry as a bead of sweat rolled down his face.

(Main Keep, Kakegawa Castle)

"Hm, this feeling... In all my years I've never felt such a powerful presence before...", Ujiyasu said gravely as he faced the direction of the Tokugawa Main Camp.

"It would seem that Ieyasu has revealed his trump card...", Kotarō smiled amusingly.

"I had heard that there was monster in the Tokugawa ranks. One that possesses unparalleled might and has never once been wounded in battle. Based on this power, it looks like the stories might be true..."

(Outside the Main Keep)

Yasutomo lunged his spear at a Tokugawa soldier, which sent him flying into a wall. As three more ran towards him, he gave one powerful slash that finished off all three at once. He suddenly stopped in his tracks once he felt the powerful presence in the air.

"This feeling... It can't be... Is this why the Tokugawa have been able to exert so much of their forces on the frontlines?", He said as he gripped his spear tighter and grit his teeth.

"Master Ren... please be careful..."

(Kakegawa Castle Courtyard)

Ren and others quickly took their stances as their foe steadily approached them through the dust. As he walked out, they saw a large man in silver armor. He wielded a large and powerful looking spear that looked sharp enough to split anything that touched it. His most notable feature was his helmet which had two large golden antlers that curved back. As he drew closer to them, the pressure in the air seemed to increase in strength as did their uncertainty of their enemy.

"You all have impressive courage and strenth for coming this far, however your path ends here.

He then stomped his foot on the ground, cracking it, and pointed his spear towards the group.

"None shall pass beyond this point! Come! You now face Tadakatsu Honda!

 **Ok so first guys I'm really sorry for being gone for so long (again). I've been going through some pretty rough stuff these past few months but what really suprised me was that there were still people reading my story and commenting on it which really made me happy to see. Thanks a lot for that you guys, because now I'm full of inspiration and energy again. Also I have a DW fanfic in the works but that one will take some time for me to finalize but the next chapter of this story will be out soon, so I won't rest until it's ready. Thank you so much again guys and see you next time on Bonds of the Hōjō!**


	9. True Strength

**Alright guys, EpicZL here and we are back! Coming at you with another chapter so sit back and enjoy! Feedback on what you think would also be greatly appreciated. So now here you are with chapter 9!**

Chapter 9: True Strength

(Play Tadakatsu)

"S-So this is where he was this whole time", Naotora said nervously as she got into her fighting stance.

"You know this guy?", Ren asked as he kept his eyes trained on the main in front of him.

"That's Master Tadakatsu, he's the Tokugawa's foremost warrior and he's really strong. He's never even taken a wound in battle before..."

"Well if that's the case then we had better be careful. We should all take him at once and coordinate our attacks. As long as we get past him then Ieyasu is just ahead".

"Well then in that case, you can deal with him. I'll get Ieyasu", Ryuto said as his blades popped out.

"No Ryuto, don't be reckless. This guy isn't going to just let us pass through", Ren warned.

"Don't worry about it, we don't have to take him on. Regardless of how strong he is, he won't be able to stop me from getting through", Ryuto said coldly as he bolted towards the gate. "Ryuto wait!".

He ran at a such a speed that he became nothing more than a crimson red blur as he bounced around from one wall to another. He then passed over Tadakatsu from the side and was mere inches from the gate.

"Alright, almost the-"

"Did you really think you could get past me so easily?"

Ryuto's eyes widened as he felt something grab his leg and then suddenly his vision started spinning once Tadakatsu threw onto the ground on his back. "Guh!", He grunted as the pain coursed through his body. He was able to regain senses just in time to see Tadakatsu's spear descending upon him. Just before it landed, he disappeared as the spear completely shattered the ground where he once layed. He then reappeared on a wall adjacent to where he was hit. Ryuto then used it as a springboard to launch himslef with greater momentum towards the gate. He glanced back to see Tadakatsu a good distance away from both his position and the gate.

"(Good, no matter how fast you are, you can't possibly reach me now)", Ryuto thought as he looked back forward toward his destination.

"I already told you, I won't let you through so easily!", Tadakatsu yelled as he held his spear back. He then lunged forward and with a single mighty swing, he caused a large amount of air pressure to be shot towards Ryuto.

Ryuto was then knocked away by the invisible force that proved to be too strong for him to resist. "He was able to cause this much air pressure with a single swing?! Just what the hell is this monster?!".

He was able to regain his footing by landing on a wall soon after. "Hm, it looks like you're even tougher than I thought. Fine then, if I have to take you out to get through then so be it!". He then sprung from the wall straight towards Tadakatasu in a flash of red. Tadakatsu slammed his blade into the ground which created a large blue wave of Musou to be launched at him. Just before it hit, Ryuto dissolved into the air once more, causing a large explosion behind him from the wal being destroyed. He then reappeared above Tadakatsu and descended upon him with his blades ready. Tadakatsu tried to counter with his spear but to his surprise, His blade did not meet Ryuto's as he had once again dissolved into the air and appeared next to Tadakatsu's side. He thrusted his arm forward against his foe, hoping to puncture through Tadakatsu's side and ribs. His blade however, would not reach it's target as it was suddenly met with the handle of Tadakatsu's spear which deflected the attack. Ryuto then felt another surge of pain pass through him as Tadakatsu jabbed the bottom side of his spear into Ryuto's stomach with such force that he was sent flying back.

He then landed with one knee on the ground next to Ren, who put his hand on Ryuto's shoulder as he saw him clutching his stomach in pain. "Are you alright?", he asked concerned for his ally. "Yeah, it looks like I should've listened to you. I gravely underestimated this guy...".

"Well I'm just glad you're alright. We can only take on this guy if we do it together".

Ryuto sighed and gave in. "Alright fine, I guess we don't have much of a choice".

"It doesn't matter how many of you come at me, I will never let anyone pass here!", Tadakatsu said, readying his spear.

Ren looked over to Kai and Hayakawa as motioned his head to his left. The two saw what he was going for and nodded. Ren was the first to make his move as he ran towards Tadakatsu with no hesitation in his eyes. He then swung his spear towards Tadakatsu who met his attack head on. As the two locked blades, Hayakawa launched a large icicle towards Tadakatsu's side. Ren then used all his strength to keep Tadakatsu from breaking their deadlock but he found it to be futile as Tadakatsu quickly overpowered him and sent him skidding back just in time to cut through Hayakawa's ice. Right then, Tadakatsu noticed two shadows in the air. He looked up to see both Naotora and Ryuto descending on him from two sides. Just as he was about to raise his spear to swat them away, something wrapped around the pole of his spear. He looked over to see Kai had extended her sword and was pulling against it with all her strength to keep Tadakatsu from moving. As he struggled to pull it away he saw both Ren and Hayakawa running straight towards him with their weapons ready.

"We've got him now!", Ryuto said as soon he was mere inches from Tadakatsu.

"I'm sorry about this Master Tadakatsu!", Naotora said nervously yet with determination in her eyes. Soon both Ryuto's blade and Naotora's boot reached their foe, but not where they expected. Both their eyes widened when they saw that Tadakatsu had met their attacks with the antlers on his helmet, which he continued to use to knock them both back into the air. The muscles in his right arm then clenched as he used an incredible amount of force to swing his spear at Ren.

"Waaahh!!", Kai yelled as she was completely swept off her feet towards Tadakatsu after being unable to withstand his strength. Although Ren was able to block the attack, he was still sent skidding backwards from the force. He then proceeded to kick Hayakawa in the stomach which sent her to the ground on her back as she coughed in pain. At the same time, the attack also ended up swing Kai into the air, who hit both Ryuto and Naotora and knocked all three towards the ground with a loud thud.

"Damn... this guy is unbelievable...", Ryuto said as he slowly pulled himself up off the ground.

"Ow...Ow... he countered all of us like it was nothing...", Kai said rubbing her arm as she helped Naotora up.

Tadakatsu looked almost disappointed as he watched his foes.

"Hmph, is this all the fight the Hōjō and Imagawa have? If so then I shall finish this now!"

He started heading towards Hayakawa, who was still on the ground recovering from the earlier blow. "My Lady!", Kai yelled out as she attempted to run twoards them.

Hayakawa looked up and saw Tadakatsu towering over her with his spear, ready to strike the finishing blow. Ren panicked once he saw how close Tadakatsu was to her and saw that Kai and others were too far to stop the attack. He too, was too far away to reach her in time and his mind began to speed up to find a way to stop. The thought of his sister being caught by Tadakatsu's attack made him begin to panic and made his breathing ragged and hard as he was not able to think of anything to reach her in time.

Then as if acting on instinct, his body began to move on it's own as he clenched his leg muscles tightly. Then a large amount of Musou surrounded his legs which seemed to explode all at once as he sprung from his position, leaving a large crack in the ground from where he had been. Within less than a second he reached Tadakatsu, who had just barely enough time to block the hit, yet the force from the impact sent him skidding back a few feet.

"R-Ren...", Hayakawa sighed in relief to see her brother. Kai and the others quickly ran over to them and helped Hayakawa up.

"Master Tadakatsu is as amazing as ever... how are we ever going to get past him?", Naotora asked anxiously.

Ren sighed and said, "I doubt we're going to get through him anytime soon. Even if all of us go at him all day, I doubt we'll ever succeed...".

"Then what do you suggest we do?", Ryuto said.

"I'll stay here and hold him off while all of you work your way to the west side of the camp", he said as he began to walk towards Tadakatsu.

"What?! That's way too reckless!", Kai exclaimed.

"Don't worry about me. I'll keep him at bay long enough for you to reach Ieyasu. Just get going"

"Keep me at bay? Aren't you a bit too confident? I won't make it as easy as you'd like!", Tadakatsu yelled as he charged at Ren. Ren quickly moved to meet his attack and soon the two were engaged in a heated clash of blades. Ren sent a barrage of burning thrusts at Tadakatsu, who blocked each hit causing sparks to fly with every clash.

"Now's our chance, we should get moving", Ryuto said as he ran towards the entrance into the castle. Kai and Naotora were hesitant at first but they followed soon after. Hayakawa was also hesitant about leaving Ren and she clenched her fist over her chest.

"You won't have your way so easily!", Tadakatsu yelled as he gave a powerful slash that sent Ren back several feet away. He then swung his spear which created a large horizontal wave of orange Musou at the group which was large enough to potentially hit all of them. Hayakawa snapped out her thoughts to see Ren standing in front of her with a determined look on his face. Flames gathered around his spear with majority of it focusing at the tip of his blade. He then thrusted it forward to meet Tadakatsu's attack which sent large shockwave throughout the are which pushed Hayakawa and the others back slightly. Ren meanwhile was slowly being pushed back by the attack as he tried to hold his ground. He clenched his spear even tighter as he increased the strength of his flames. After focusing most of his power into the tip of his spear, he forcfully pierced it further into the Musou wave. The flames then caused a large explosion which dissipated Tadakatsu's attack as the column of flames continued towards Tadakatsu himself. The warrior effortlessly cut through the flames causing them to explode behind him.

"Hurry and go already! I'll be fine here", Ren ordered. They all reluctantly nodded before leaving aside from one. Ren then felt a soft hand grab his own. When he looked back, he saw it was Hayakawa who had a serious look in her eyes. "Ren... Promise me you'll come back safe, ok?".

Ren gave a warm smile and lightly squeezed her hand. "Don't worry. No matter what, we'll all make it home together, I promise". She smiled and nodded at him before running off to catch up with the others.

Ren then looked back in front of him to his opponent who had been patiently waiting for him.

"And here I thought this battle would be boring. State your name warrior", Tadakatsu said, smiling.

"It's Ren Hōjō. You'd do well to remember it, especially since it's the name of the warrior who's going to defeat you", Ren said as his Musou intensified, creating more flames around him.

"Hm, interesting!", Tadakatsu said excitedly as his Musou appeared around his body, cracking the ground around him. The two then rushed at one another in what would become a battle that would shake the very castle to it's core.

(Kakegawa Castle Second Floor)

Hayakawa and others were all running up the stairs leading to the third floor with their men when they felt loud tremor that resonated throughout the castle.

"Do you think Lord Ren will be alright?", Naotora asked meekly.

Ryuto crossed his arms and said, "Well it was certainly reckless to fight that monster all alone".

"You're the last one I want to hear that from!", Kai yelled angrily.

"He's a commander, it's different", Ryuto said calmly. Kai got even angrier at his nonchalant response but was knocked out of it by Hayakawa.

"He will be okay".

Everyone turned to her to see she was clutching her hand over her heart with a smile on her face.

"I believe in him. He would never go back on his word", she said confidently.

"Yeah you're right! He's the best Kanto has to offer. There's no way he'll be beaten by anyone", Kai said.

Hayakawa nodded and said, "He's doing his very best out there so we need to finish our job too. Lady Naotora, do you know the way to get to the west side of the Tokugawa camp?".

"Um yes, if we go around the third floor, we'll be able to reach there in no time", Naotora said.

"The third floor... that's where the bulk of the Tokugawa forces are. Not only that but the other side of their camp is bound to be heavily guarded", Ryuto said.

"At this point we have no choice but to take a chance. Ren is fighting his hardest to give us a chance to end this battle. We can't let him down", Hayakawa said.

"Well if you're really going to go through with this then I guess we have no choice. We should first meet up with our allies on the third floor then so we can better our chances", Ryuto said. They all nodded before continuing up the the stairs.

(Main Keep, Kakegawa Castle)

"Ahh!! Is this the end?!", Ujizane panicked as he felt the castle rumble once more. Ujiyasu sighed, "Calm down, it's probably not even close to here".

A messenger then ran into the room and bowed before Ujiyasu. "Report! Lord Ren has engaged the enemy officer Tadakatsu Honda in the courtyard. Lady Hayakawa and the others are moving towards the third floor".

"It would appear that they weren't able to break through the south gate", Kotarō said amused.

"Ugh, that idiot son of mine... trying to take on that monster by himself. That means they are trying to get through to the west then. The problem is that's where the bulk of the enemy is. If only there was a way to weaken their forces there...", Ujiyasu said stroking his chin.

Ujizane then stood and said, "That's it! I can't take this anymore! I inherited this domain from my father. I can't be the one who let's it fall apart!". He then picked up his sword and started running out of the room towards the third floor.

"Damn it. Looks like the boy has lost his head. I can't let that fool get himself killed...".

Once Ujizane made it out of the Main Keep he saw Yasutomo ahead who gave him a surprised look as he saw his lord running towards him.

"M-My Lord! What are you doing here? It's too dangerous for you to be coming out here", Yasutomo said.

"Come on Yasutomo! We can still win this! Come with me!". He then felt a hand on his shoulder and a something on his neck as suddenly his vision started getting darker.

"You idiot, you're going to rush at the enemy despite being the commander and having never fought a battle before? Just get some rest, we'll handle it", Ujiyasu said annoyed.

"B-But Uncle... I... can still... fight...", He said weakly as he fell unconscious on to Ujiyasu's arm. "I don't know how you do it Yasutomo. Being able to deal with him all time, you mist have some nerves of steel", Ujiyasu said.

Yasutomo sighed and said, "Well when you've served Lord Yoshimoto as long as I have, you get used to these kinds of antics. Men, take Lord Ujizane to his chambers". He motioned to two guards who proceeded to carry off Ujizane back into the Main Keep.

"He's certainly a bigger fool than his father was but he did just give me a good idea", Ujiyasu said.

"Oh? Something to deal with all those enemies?", Kotarō said as he walked over to the two.

"Yeah, I need you to fetch one of your ninja's for me", Ujiyasu said.

(Tokugawa Main Camp, Kakegawa Castle)

As Ieyasu was going over the various battle reports on his desk, another tremor occurred which threatened to nearly knock everything on to the ground.

"Hmm... What is going on out there?", Ieyasu asked. A guard then walked up to him and reported, "My Lord, General Tadakatsu was able to prevent the enemy from penetrating the camp, however a single warrior stayed behind is currently fighting the general".

"A warrior who can match Tadakatsu for this long? Who is it?", he asked shocked.

"We have identified him as Ren Hōjō, son of Ujiyasu Hōjō", he said.

"Well that explains it... I was briefly able to witness his skills at Okehazama but I didn't expect him to be good enough to last this long against Tadakatsu. He must be aiming to hold Tadakatsu long enough for his allies to penetrate the west".

Ieyasu then pulled out a map of the layout of the castle and carefully traced his finger of its design.

"Ren Hōjō is currently here in the courtyard while Yasutomo is at the corridor right outside of the Main Keep after the third floor. Ujiyasu himself is likely with Ujizane in the Keep. These three are the ones we need to keep a close eye on. Their remaining forces must be on the third floor as it is the only way to reach here from the west. Although we should have enough men to keep them pinned down, I would prefer to avoid so many losses for a single castle".

So... you're saying My Lord that we should try to take out Ujizane immediately? But how are we to do that when the paths to him are so heavily defended?", the guard asked.

Ieyasu then pointed to two spots on the map. "It is true that the Main Keep would be very difficult to reach if we took the normal way. If we took an unconventional way however..."

"An unconvential way?"

"There are two high ledges that open up to the Main Keep. Our ambush in the Minor Keep was thwarted due to ninja who used one to spot and ambush our men. There is another one on the third floor that leads directly to where Ujizane is. If we can use that then we can elminate him without exerting too much of our strength", Ieyasu explained.

"So that means My Lord, you wish to call in..."

"Yes, have him come in and recieve his orders at once. We are going to finish this battle now".

(Third Floor, Kakegawa Castle)

Two Tokugawa guards were standing guard by the stairs that lead to the second floor when they saw a figure heading towards them rapidly. As he got closer, they saw that he was in a green and purple robe covering his armor with a rather nervous look on his face.

"I'll leave things here to you Uncle! I'll retreat just as planned!", he shouted back as he continued to run forward. Before the guards could even put their weapons up, they were easily pushed aside by the running man as he made his way down the stairs.

"What the... was that?", one of them asked

"That was Ujizane just now! He must be trying to retreat!".

"He's certainly fast, thats for sure. If he gets away then this battle will be for nothing! We have to tell the others and chase him down!".

The two nodded before running off to gather others to hint down Ujizane.

Elsewhere on the third floor, Hayakawa and the others finally were able to reach Ujimasa and the others.

"Sister? What are you doing here? Were you not able to reach Ieyasu?", Ujimasa asked.

"No... we were stopped by this really powerful warrior. Ren stayed behind to keep him at bay so we could maybe reach the other side of their camp", she explained.

As the two were taking Ryuto noticed something strange about the area. "Hmm? Shouldn't this area be packed with Tokugawa soldiers? I can only sense a couple around here...".

"Yeah you're right... what's going on?", Kai asked as she eyed the area around them.

"We're not really sure. Earlier we were fighting a large group of them but then suddenly most of them started running off somewhere while leaving only a minimal amount of soldiers behind", Ujiteru said.

"Where did they all go?", Hayakawa asked.

Ryuto then closed his eyes and all noise around him ceased to affect him. He then was able to hear countless footsteps moving in the same direction. He was also able to sense a familiar person running away from those steps. He opened his eyes and said, "They are heading to the underground passage. They appear to be chasing after someone".

"How can you tell where they are?", Kai asked.

"I can sense the presence of others pretty easily. Wouldn't be a very good ninja if I wasn't", He replied.

"Who would be so important that they would send so many men to catch?", Ujimasa asked while scratching his chin.

"Well either way don't you think this our chance? The path to the enemy main camp should be lightly defended now. If we attack we can end this", Ujiteru said.

"I agree but I'm worried about the enemy's sudden change in movements", Ujimasa said.

"In that case, I can go and check to see what's happening while you all head to their main camp", Ryuto offered.

"Well I suppose we have no choice since you are the only one who can pull this off but please don't get into any more trouble, at least for Ren's sake", Hayakawa said sternly.

Ryuto was slightly taken aback by her but he relented and bowed before disappearing from sight. Hayakawa then turned back to the rest of them. "Alright we should hurry. The longer we take, the harder it'll be for Ren".

(Underground Passage, First Floor)

"We've finally got you now!", a Tokugawa soldier said.

Ujizane was able to reach the underground passage but soon after he found himself quickly surrounded by a massive wave of soldiers who completely filled up the room.

"Oh no... how did it come to this...", he said weakly, slightly shaking as the soldiers steadily moved closer to him.

"Give up. You're completely surrounded. Make it easy and come quietly", a general ordered.

"Very well then, but I must say one thing first... You Tokugawa guys are really stupid!", Ujizane said as he started laughing playfully in a very uncharacteristic manner.

All of the men were shocked by his sudden change in demeanor especially given the circumstances.

"What's so funny?!", a general yelled angrily as he pointed his sword at the laughing lord. Ujizane then finally calmed down forming a sign with his hands. His body then faded away to reveal a masked ninja in red and black clothing and a short horned head guard. Everyone was shocked by his sudden transformation and they also noticed the Hōjō symbol on his ninja gi.

"You're a Fuma ninja? Damn you and your dirty tricks!", the general roared angrily as he prepared to attack.

"Fool you ,didn't I? I was honestly not expecting to reel in so many with this trick but to bring in most of your vanguard and defenders from your camp? I feel sorry for that Ieyasu for having such idiots in his army"

"You bastard!", he roared as he swung his sword at the ninja who easily evaded by jumping into the air. He then landed a soldier's head and proceeded to run along the heads of the large force towards the door that lead back to the first floor. Countless spears and blades were being thrusted up in attempts to stop him, but he was effortlessly able to evade each one as he drew closer to the exit. Once he reached the last soldier, he used his head as a springboard to launch himself towards the door which sent the soldier tumbling to the ground.

Once he reached the gates, he quickly shut them and barricaded it with heavy crates. Large pounding could be heard on the gates, however they looked like they were not going to be opened any time soon due to both the barricade and the solid iron doors.

"I had a feeling that was you causing all this commotion, Isuke".

The ninja turned around at the sound of a familiar voice to see Ryuto standing behind him. "Oh hey Ryuto, good to see you again".

"Did the Master put you up to this?", Ryuto asked

"Yeah, the Master and Lord Ujiyasu asked me to do this. It's nothing fun like what you get to do. You actually get to fight on the frontlines now, must be fun", the ninja known as Isuke Ninokuruwa said.

"It's not as cracked up to be as you think. I certainly don't have as much freedom to do my mission", he said sighing.

"Well honestly it might be for the best. After all even though you're hands down the best ninja in our force, you certainly are too reckless", Isuke said.

"Come on, not you too. We are ninjas. As long as our mission is accomplished, I don't see what the problem is", Ryuto said.

Isuke sighed, "I see you still haven't changed a bit. Still got that cynical attitude of yours. You know, ninja or not, your life is still important, and I'm sure Master feels the same way".

"Hmph, well either way you made our job a lot easier so do you want to come with-". At that moment both ninja's felt a strong presence for a split second before it faded away.

"Hey Ryuto... you felt that right?", Isuke asked seriously.

"Yeah, it was undoubtedly a ninja, and a good one at that", Ryuto said looking at the direction from which he had felt the presence.

"Based on where it came from, they must be heading towards the Main Keep. Isuke, you stay here and make sure those guys don't escape. I'll go and handle this", Ryuto said as he dashed towards the Main Keep.

"Hey Ryuto wai-, (sigh) You still haven't changed a bit even after 3 years now...".

(Third Floor, Kakegawa Castle)

A dark figure was racing through the castle completely unnoticed by all its inhabitants. It eventually reached a room that had a high ledge at the top which led directly to the Main Keep. He then jumped onto the wall and began to run up towards the ledge as if unaffected by the force of gravity. Just before he reached the top, an arrow struck the wall right by his foot causing him to jump off and land back on to the ground. The firgure then looked at the entrance of the room to see Ryuto who had just fired the arrow the crossbow on his arm.

"Pretty good reflexes. I see the Tokugawa has some pretty skilled ninjas too".

"You were able to sense my presence, most impressive", the figure said as he stepped out of the shadows to reveal himself. He was a man in silver and purple ninja armor that had a demonic look to it. In his hand was a long and dangerous looking sickle blade attached to a chain wrapped around his arm.

"I've heard about a certain ninja who serves the Tokugawa. He's the leader of the Iga clan and is often referred to as the Demon Hanzo. I'm guessing that's you", Ryuto said as his blades popped out of his gauntlets.

Hanzo said nothing as he got into his battle stance. Ryuto also took his stance as he took note of his opponent. "(I can feel it... this guy is just as strong as Master. I cannot let him reach the top)", he thought.

Just as he snapped out of his thoughts, his eyes widened as he saw Hanzo's blade only mere inches from his face. He instinctively moved under it with his the blade passing right above his face as he did so. After passing Hanzo, he turned back with a serious face with his blades up. "(I didn't even see him move from his spot. One second later and I would've been dead"), Ryuto thought.

Hanzo then once again appeared before Ryuto but this time the Hōjō ninja was ready as he blocked the attack just before it hit. "(The difference in speed is clear. I can only just about see his attack right before it hits. If I stay on the defensive for too long then I'll be dead for sure)".

Ryuto then launched a series of lightning quick attacks against Hanzo who began to meet his blows. They both began a high speed clash that created red and purple blurs between the two with Ryuto being the more aggressive of the two. "(He's attacking more to prevent me from using my speed. Not bad, but I will not fail my mission)", Hanzo thought as he kicked Ryuto back. Hanzo then began forming hand signs at a rapid pace. Just then it appeared that two more Hanzos had divided from the first one.

"Doubles huh? Sorry, but mere illusions like that won't be enough to defeat me", Ryuto said as he rushed at the three. One of them blocked his attack while another threw his chain to wrap around Ryuto's leg and flung him into a wall. As he opened his eyes, he saw the sickle flying towards his direction. He immediately slid down the wall as the sickle pierced the wall and was stuck in place. "They are all real? So this is the Iga's ninjutsu...", Ryuto said as he got back up.

The three Hanzos began to launch coordinated attacks against the young ninja, who struggled to keep up with the three. After blocking their attacks for a time, he was cut by one of the Hanzo's sickle blade on his side. He jumped back and clutched his wound as blood started to flow out. "Damn, one was hard enough, but against three I have even less of a chance . He braced himself as he saw the three charge towards him once again.

He blocked two of them with his blades however, the third one appeared above him and prepared to attack. He tried to counter but he was unable to due to being blade locked by the the other two. Just as Hanzo was about to deliver the finishing blow, a red flash appeared and knocked Hanzo back. At the same time, Ryuto broke free of the other two and spun around, creating a small red twister of Musou which knocked them back.

"Looks like you could use a little help", a familiar voice that came from his savior said.

"Oh please, you already knew we here the whole time. Leave it to you to wait until things escalate to join in, Master", Ryuto said.

"So he's with you... either way, I won't let you get in the way of my mission", the middle Hanzo said as all the other two took their stances.

"Try not to get killed, little birdy. This one is too tough for you to handle alone", Kotarō said as he took his stance.

"Hm, whether or not I get killed doesn't matter, as long we win this fight", Ryuto said calmly.

Kotarō let out a sigh, "You still have much to learn".

(Tokugawa Main Camp, Kakegawa Castle)

"L-Lord Ieyasu! Terrible News! Our frontline has collapsed. The Hōjō and Imagawa forces will soon reach the Main Camp!", a messenger said frantically.

"What?! How could that happen? Most of our main forces should be between here and the frontlines, how could they have been broken through so quickly?", Ieyasu said.

"That's the thing my lord... most of our vanguard were gone. There was only the bare minimum forces left behind".

"What? Where did they all go?", Ieyasu asked surprised.

"Ujizane was spotted trying to escape from the castle so the generals took most of the men to chase after him through the underground passage in hopes of capturing him...", the messenger said nervously.

Ieyasu was angered by the news and began rubbing his temples with his hand. "Those fools, it was clearly a truck. Ujizane is a known coward, how would he dare to run to the bulk of our forces to escape. Now our battle lines have collapsed and the tide has turned against us. Any news from Hanzo and Tadakatsu yet?".

"General Tadakatsu is still engaging that warrior from the Hōjō outside. It would appear that the enemy is making it quite hard for him to make a move. As for General Hanzo, we have yet to receive any word from him".

"For those two to be given so much trouble, I have to hand it to the Hōjō, they are quite impressive in battle. We have no choice then, have Tadatsugu bring in the rear guard to the castle. Forget about the Imagawa for now, their Hōjō reinforcements are much stronger. We need all of our forces to engage the Hōjō and defeat them!".

"Yes my lord!", the messenger bowed before running off to carry his orders.

"To have this much trouble to capture a single castle... It appears I still have far to go", Ieyasu said, looking back at his map.

(Couryard, Kakegawa Castle)

(Play Tadakatsu)

"Yah!", Tadakatsu roared as he brought his spear down upon his foe. Ren was able to block the attack with his own but grunted at the sheer force behind his attack.

"Most impressive, young man. Very few have ever lasted so long against me like you have. I'm actually enjoying this battle", the older man said as he kept applying more force on his spear.

"Yeah well to be honest... I'd rather end this as soon as possible", Ren said with a small smile as he struggled to match his opponents strength. He then knocked his opponent back before launching several flaming shots from his spear. Tadakatsu effortlessly cut through them all with a single slash. He then jumped into the air and descended his spear against Ren. Ren blocked the attack but bucked his knees from the power of his opponent as the ground he was standing on cracked.

The two were interrupted however, when a soldier came from the gates of the main camp.

"General Tadakatsu! The enemy is closing in our main camp from the west. Lord Ieyasu needs you back immediately!", the messenger said.

Upon hearing the news, Tadakatsu turned his attention back to Ren and imbued his weapon with a large amount. He then delivered a powerful slash that Ren was able to meet but he was sent skidding back as the slash destroyed all of the ground between them.

"We'll finish this later, for now I must return to my Lord's side", Tadakatsu said as he began to rush toward the gate.

Ren was on the ground panting in exhaustion. "No, I can't let him go. I promised the everyone that I would keep this guy here no matter what", Ren said as he struggled to stand back up.

"Damn, he's too far. I won't be able to catch him". Suddenly an idea sprung into his mind and he smiled.

"Sorry Lord Yoshimoto, I'm going to have to borrow this move from you", Ren said as he extended his hand out. Suddenly flames began to form in his hand as it took the shape of a sphere. He then threw the sphere up and just before it landed, he kicked it with all of his strength. It flew right over Tadakatsu's head and curved downwards until it hit the ground, creating a large explosion of flames that blocked the gate.

"Sorry Master Tadakatsu, but I'm afraid I can't let you go just yet. I hope you don't mind if we play for a little longer", Ren said as readied his spear.

Tadakatsu smiled and turned back around to Ren. "You're quite an interesting kid. Very well then, if you are so interested in an early death then I'll happily grant it to you. However since My Lord, needs my aid, I won't hold anything back, and finish this quickly", Tadakatsu said as his aura exploded, breaking the ground surrounding him.

"So you finally decided to go all out...", Ren said as a bead of sweat rolled down his face.

"(I can't hold this guy much longer, especially now that he's getting serious. Come on everyone, you have to finish this quickly)"

(First Floor, Kakegawa Castle)

"Let's go everyone! Break through!", Ujimasa ordered as he cut down a Tokugawa soldier. All the soldiers rallied at his call and were able to overwhelm the remaining Tokugawa guards.

"Alright, the Tokugawa camp is just ahead. A little nit more and we can win this", Kai said.

A messenger then ran up to them with a paniced face and reported, "Lord Ujimasa! The Tokugawa army from outside is approaching, they are starting to flood into the castle!".

"What?! There's still more?", Ujiteru said surprised.

"They are using everything they have to attack us. Ieyasu knows it's his only chance to turn the battle at this point", Hayakawa said.

"Alright then, Sister, Kai, and Lady Naotora, you should head for Ieyasu. Brothers, we'll go and hold off the reinforcements", Ujimasa ordered.

"Right!", the three brothers said simultaneously with their men.

"Are you sure you'll be alright?", Hayakawa asked her brother worriedly.

"Don't worry Sister. This is nothing compared to what Ren must be dealing with. We'll show them what the Hōjō can really do!", Ujimasa said assuringly.

"Alright Brothers, let's go teach these Tokugawa a lesson!"

The others cheered before storming off towards the enemy.

"Let's go My Lady, the main camp is just ahead", Kai said, putting a hand on Hayakawa's shoulder. Hayakawa nodded as the three women marched forward with their men.

Soon they reached the western gates but were stopped by a young woman who was waiting for them.

"Halt! This is My Lord's camp, none shall pass without his order!", the woman said. She was a young woman with a beautiful face that had a fierce expression on it. She had her hair tied into a ponytail as well as light amor on. In her hands was a large bow that had blades on its ends.

"Lady Ina, please let us through", Naotora pleaded.

"I'm sorry Lady Naotora, but as long as Father and I are protecting this place, we will never yield.

"Father? So that man from earlier is her father?", Hayakawa asked.

"I can see the resemblance. I can tell she's pretty strong. No doubt comes from him", Kai said as she readied her sword.

"Lady Naotora, you can still join us. Our Lord will definitely take good care of you and your clan", Ina said.

"Thank you for thinking about Enshu. However, the Ii clan strictly forbids switching sides in the middle of a battle!", Naotora said as she got into her stance.

"Very well then. I won't hold anything back!", Ina said as she grabbed several arrows and drew her bow. She then fired her arrows at the three women who all rolled out of the way. Kai then jumped into the air towards Ina, who proceeded to draw her bow again. She infused her arrows with Musou as she fired them right at Kai. Kai deflected each one then extended her sword towards the archer princess. Ina jumped back as the blade crashed into the ground, breaking through it. Before she could reach for more arrows, she noticed Naotora lung towards her with an empowered kick.

Ina blocked the attack with her bow and the two proceeded to engage in a fierce clash between her bow and Naotora's bladed boots. As they fought, Ina saw something from the corner of her eye. She saw Kai's extended blade coming in from her right side. She quickly jumped up, avoiding both the blade and Naotora's kick. She then fired her bow at Kai from mid-air, seeing that Kai's blade had not returned yet.

Just before the arrow hit, a wall of ice emerged from the ground and froze the arrow in place. Ina looked over to see that the cause was from Hayakawa, who was preparing her own attack against her. With one swing of her weapon, Hayakawa created a large gust of cold wind that knocked Ina back onto the ground. As she landed she felt something against her back and noticed it was the gate to the camp. She looked back in front to see the threw women and all their soldiers charging at full speed towards her.

"I won't fail my mission. For My Lord and my father, I will stop you all here!", Ina exclaimed as she put forth an incredible amount of Musou into her bow while grabbing a large number of arrows. She then began to rapidly shoot countless arrows at a time with her hands moving at a speed where they could almost not be seen. Everyone stopped in their tracks once they saw the massive volley heading their way. Naotora stepped up and did a spinning kick which created a small pink twister of Musou around her which kept deflecting Ina's arrows as she moved forward. Kai and Hayakawa each began deflecting the arrows that made it past Naotora as they rushed forward together with her. Soon Naotora reached Ina's postition and launched a jump kick before Ina could fire another volley. Ina blocked the attack however, the force of Naotora's kick push Ina up against the gate. Just then, Hayakawa and Kai launched a simultaneous strike on Ina who managed to block all three women but the force proved too much as she felt the wood snapping behind her and was sent flying through the gate.

She was stopped when she felt a pair of hands catch her from behind.

"My Lord...", Ina said weakly as struggled to keep her balace.

"Don't worry Ina, you did fine", Ieyasu said as he let go of her.

"Where are Tadakatsu and Hanzo?", he asked a soldier as he heard a number of footsteps drawing closer from the gate.

"My Lord, both generals appear to stalled by enemy forces. They won't be able to reach us right now", the soldier said.

The two watched as a number of Imagawa and Hōjō troops began to flood in from the broken gate. The remaining soldiers in the camp began to meet the enemies attack, however they were slowly overwhelmed by the Hōjō's spirit. Hayakawa and the others then ran up to Ieyasu. Ina then stood in front of him with her bow drawn at the women.

"Using clever tricks and indomitable spirit to turn the tide of the battle. I'm most impressed by the Hōjō's ability in battle", Ieyasu said.

"Ieyasu! This battle is over, give up and come quietly", Kai said as she pointed her sword at him.

"The result of this battle is clear. I will concede this victory to you, however I will not give up. For the sake of my dreams, I will do whatever is necessary to achieve them even if it means becoming a demon", Ieyasu said as he fled out the castle with his Ina and his men behind him.

"Phew, We were somehow able to protect Mother's home. That Ieyasu is really quite something, to go so far for his goals", Hayakawa said.

"Yeah maybe, but as long his goals threaten our family, we'll make sure to put a stop to him everytime", Kai said with a confident smile on her face.

"Wow, you are all so amazing. I wish I was more like that", Naotora said.

"What?! What are you talking about? You were absolutely amazing out there Lady Naotora!", Kai said.

"Yes, you were really inspiring with the way you fought", Hayakawa said with a smile.

"N-No! Please, you're embarrassing me!", Naotora said, covering her face.

The two laughed before Hayakawa said, "We should get back and tell Father. I'm sure he'll be happy to hear how we did". The other two nodded before heading back.

(Third Floor, Kakegawa Castle)

Ryuto and Kotarō were still caught in a fierce battle with Hanzo and his doubles, with Kotarō facing the real one and Ryuto handling the other two.

Ryuto was fending off continuous attacks from them but found himself being overwhelmed as they jumped from wall to wall.

"I get it now. These doubles are strong, but not nearly as strong as the real one. The fact that I'm somehow able to take these two means that the real one is fighting Master right now", Ryuto said to himself as he looked over to his Master's battle where the two seemed evenly matched.

"Even so, these two are still really strong..."

Once again the three engaged in a heated battle with Ryuto being constantly pressured to stay on the defensive. Soon an opening presented itself to Ryuto when he and one of the Hanzos locked blades. He fired one of the arrows from his gauntlet at point blank range. Hanzo instinctively jumped back and dodged the arrow. Ryuto then jumped forward to close the distance between the two and thrusted his blade forward. The blade was only mere inches from Hanzo's face when the attack was blocked. Hanzo then swiftly took his hand to swipe away all the arrows on his gauntlet to prevent him from firing at that range.

The double however was unprepared when a small click was heard from Ryuto's gauntlet. In a sudden red flash, Ryuto's blade flew out from his gauntlet in a red flash. Being too close and fast to counter, the double was pierced through by the blade causing him to disappear in a cloud of dark smoke. Ryuto then placed another blade into his gauntlet and prepared to face the remaining double.

Hanzo pulled on his chain to bring the scythe flying back around to hit Ryuto. Ryuto saw this and knocked away the scythe before continuing to run towards Hanzo. Just before Ryuto reached him, Hanzo jumped up and pulled his chain to bring his scythe back into his hands while also wrapping it around Ryuto to immobilize him. As Hanzo descended down upon him, Ryuto struggled to break free of the chains but no matter how much strength he had, he was unable to break through. Hanzo then brought his scythe towards Ryuto's head, however at the last moment Ryuto moved himself to the side so that the blade plunged into his shoulder instead of his head.

He winced in pain at the contact but did not waste a second with his next move. He rushed forward and kicked Hanzo away before grabbing hold of Hanzo's chain with his bound arm. He spun around rapidly, dragging Hanzo back towards him. Hanzo tried to slash him as he got closer, however just before he could, Ryuto managed to get his arm loose enough to point his gauntlet at Hanzo. He then fired three Musou powered arrows at his opponent which struck the ninja and caused him to vanish along with the chains that bound Ryuto.

The real Hanzo noticed that his doubles had been defeated and turned to face Kotarō.

"That disciple of yours is not bad", Hanzo said.

"True but he still has a long way to go", Kotarō said wirh his trademark smile.

Ryuto then made it to his masters side as the two prepared to face Hanzo. Hanzo was about to make his move when he noticed something from the castle. "Hm, it looks like the battles over. My mission is over, there is no more reason to continue", he said as he put his scythe away. He then disappeared into the shadows as Ryuto relaxed himself.

"Man, who would've thought I'd run into such monsters in this battle", He said as tended to his wounds on his shoulder and side.

"Not bad, but as usual you didn't follow orders. You've still got a lot of work to do", Kotarō said.

"Yeah, Yeah I know...", He said sighing.

"There you are! Oh, Master you're here too", Isuke said as he appeared before the two.

"Hm, good work carrying out the mission Isuke. Now let's report to Ujiyasu", Kotarō said as the two ninjas nodded. All three then jumped onto the ledges that lead to the Main Keep and bowed when they reached Ujiyasu.

"Good work you three. Looks like Ieyasu's retreating at least for now", He said as smoked his pipe.

They then heard a loud yawn from a seat nearby. They looked over and noticed Ujizane, who had been knocked out earlier, starting to awake.

"Oh Uncle, what's going on? How's the battle?", He asked sleepily. "Don't worry the battles already done, we won", Ujiyasu said.

"O-Oh, that's a relief. Then I can get some more rest", Ujizane said as he lied back down began snoring.

"Certainly a carefree one, aren't you?", Ujiyasu said sighing.

"(Although, this battle has definitely taken it's toll on the Imagawa. For now Ieyasu should not have the strength to attack for awhile, but let's hope that bastard doesn't decide to make his move)"

(Kakegawa Castle Courtyard, Kakegawa Castle)

In a place that once held beautiful gardens and serene sights that the lord of the castle could enjoy, it had become an unrecognizable place filled with destruction. There were countless craters strewn across the floors and walls as well as many burning flames that have yet to go out. In here there were two warriors who were putting forth their all against each other with the force of each clash of their weapons equaling that of a powerful earthquake.

Ren and Tadakatsu were currently engaged in a fierce struggle with their blades moving at an overwhelming speed to match each other. Sparks flew as the two battled on what seemed to be even terms however with each clash, Ren was slowly being forced back by his opponent's inhuman strength.

"He's too strong. Not even Father or Kenshin could compare to this", Ren muttered as he struggled to meet his foe's mighty blows. Ren was sweating heavily and was covered in a few scrapes and bruises while Tadakatsu had yet to receive a single mark of any sorts. Ren was also beginning to feel his muscles getting sore from the constant clashes as well as his breathing growing heavier from fatigue. Tadakatsu on the other hand did not have a single hint of exhaustion on him, in fact he barely seemed any more tired than he was at the beginning of the battle.

Soon a powerful slash from Tadakatsu proved too much for Ren, and he was sent flying back as a result. He landed on his back with a grunt while also dropping his spear beside him.

"This fight is over!", Tadakatsu said as he rushed towards Ren, who had not yet recovered. Seeing his foe draw closer to him, Ren quickly got back up on one knee and hurriedly reached for his spear. Soon the two were mere inches from each other when a suddenly a messenger ran into the room. The too stopped at the sound of his voice and noticed their positions. Tadakatsu's spear was less than a millimeter away from Ren's neck while Ren's blade was the same distance from Tadakatsu's stomach.

"General! Our Lord has issued the retreat. Please return".

"Hm, I suppose we'll settle this another time", Tadakatsu said as he removed his spear from Ren's neck.

As he walked away, he looked back at Ren, who was still on the ground. "I look forward to our next encounter. I hope you'll become even stronger by then", he said with a small smile on his face as he left.

After they were all gone, Ren sighed and dropped his weapon in exhaustion. "(I don't think I've ever come so close to dying before. Tadakatsu Honda... what a terrifying warrior)", he thought as he tried to catch his breath.

Soon he heard several footsteps approaching from the camp. He turned around to see Hayakawa and the others running towards him with worried looks on their faces.

"Ren! Are you hurt?", Hayakawa asked worriedly as she ran up to him.

"Don't worry, it's just a few scratches and bruises. I'll be fine, but great job out there. You all really did amazing", Ren said smiling.

"It was all thanks to you Lord Ren. If you didn't hold off that guy for us, we would've never been able to win. Now come on let's go tell our Lord the good news", Kai said as she grabbed onto both Ren and Hayakawa's hands.

"Right", Ren said slowly as he suddenly fell down.

"Ren!"

"Lord Ren!"

The two caught him by both arms before he hit the ground.

"Hehe, sorry. I'm just really exhausted", Ren said lightly as he smiled at them.

Both women sighed in relief before beginning to playfully laugh at their friend. Ren started laughing too as the mood became much lighter that it didn't even feel like they were on a battlefield anymore.

(Tokugawa Camp, Outside Kakegawa Castle)

The camp was filled with tired and injured soldiers who had just returned from the castle. As the sun began to set, more and more men made it back. Three men were standing in the center of the camp as they watched the remaining men enter. Ieyasu, Hanzo, and a man in blue and white armor with grey hair and a blue oni mask which covered his lower face were discussing matters from the battle.

"(Sigh) This loss has taken quite a toll on our forces. It's my fault for failing to break through the Hōjō forces when you needed me", the man known as Tadatsugu Sakai said.

"No, it's not your fault, I know everyone fought their hardest. We were simply unprepared for the strength of the Hōjō", Ieyasu said.

Hanzo then looked up and said, "Tadakatsu is back".

The other two then looked to the entrance of the camp and saw Tadakatsu walking in with his spear in hand.

"Ah Tadakatsu. It's good to see you make it back safely", Ieyasu said.

Tadakatsu bowed respectfully to him. "My Lord, please forgive my inability. I failed my mission to defend our camp, and it cost us dearly".

Ieyasu put his hand on his retainer's shoulder and shook his head. "No, if the enemy were skilled enough to give you and Hanzo a hard time then there is no shame in losing to such foes".

"It is true the enemy were quite powerful, their Fuma ninjas were also skilled", Hanzo said, recalling his fight with the Fuma leader and his protege.

"That young warrior, Ren Hōjō, was also most formidable. I have not faced such a skilled opponent in a while", Tadakatsu said.

"I see. So he was the one who gave you so much trouble. I saw him at Okehazama, and I recall he was a most incredible fighter who even Lord Yoshimoto praised", Ieyasu said.

"Yes, and I believe he also instantly saw through our formation. He will no doubt continue to improve with time and experience", Tadakatsu said.

Tadatsugu crossed his arms while rubbing his chin. "It would appear that we will need to keep a close eye on him then. Even though we lost this battle, we have gained more allies and the Imagawa are weaker than ever. Once we recover our strength it should be simple to claim Totomi and Suruga".

"Yes, you are right. There is one problem however. We need to make sure that a certain someone doesn't beat us to the punch before we're ready", Ieyasu said worried.

 **And we are done. Took me a while to get back used to the writing zone again, but we should be good for next time. So guys I hope you enjoy, and stay tuned for the next Bonds of the Hōjō!**


	10. A Wild Storm

**Alright guys, we reached chapter 10! I'm pretty excited that I've gotten this far because when I first started out, I didn't think I'd actually make it here without giving up. So I'm really grateful to you guys who are still reading this story and as always leave a review about what you think. And now on to the chapter!**

Chapter 10: A Wild Storm

(Odawara Castle, Kanto)

Several days after the incident at Kakegawa Castle, the Hōjō remained on high alert in the area and had been keeping a close eye on their Imagawa allies as they worked to try and recover. After a while, Ujiyasu decided to give everyone a break to rest.

"Alright everyone, you've been working real hard lately, so go relax, and get some rest," Ujiyasu said motioning to Ren and the others in the room with him.

"Masashige, I'm going to need to trouble you to go deliver the supplies to Sunpu. They really need it right about now. You can get a break when you get back", he said motioning to Masashige. Everyone bowed to him before all heading out.

"So Ren, what are you going to do now?" Hayakawa asked as she walked beside him.

Ren rubbed his chin before replying, "I think I'll go into town to grab some food and tea. Do you want to come with?".

Hayakawa nervously shook her head, "U-Um, sorry but I have some important business to take care of, thanks for asking though.

Ren gave her a questioning look before shrugging and heading off. After he left, Hayakawa began looking at the officers who were still exiting the room until she saw Kai exit. She quickly grabbed Kai's hand, taking her by surprise as she was pulled into the next room.

"Woah! My Lady? What's going on?" Kai asked as Hayakawa closed the door behind them.

"Shh! I need your help with something, Kai" Hayakawa asked quietly.

"What is it?" Kai asked quietly.

"Well you know that Ren's birthday is next month right? Well I need your help to look for something to get him," She explained.

"Oh yeah, that's right. But wait, isn't it still a bit early for that though. We still have a whole month to go," Kai said.

Hayakawa shook her head. "I know, but I really wanted to find something special for him early. After all, we've all been through a lot these past couple of months".

Kai smiled at her. "Yeah, you're right. So what did you have in mind, My Lady?".

"That's what I wanted to ask you about actually. I've been trying to rack my brain lately about what to get him but I couldn't think of anything. I was hoping you would have an idea," Hayakawa said hopefully.

Kai started scratching her head as she tried to think of something. "I don't really know... I'm not really sure what Lord Ren could possibly want...".

Hayakawa sighed, "I know what you mean. I thought about things he might like, but Ren spends most of his time reading and training so it's not like he has any hobbies".

As the two women were in deep thought, the door was suddenly slided open.

"You know he would like anything you get him, right?" Suikeiin said with smile.

"Kyaah!" Both women yelped in surprise at her sudden appearance.

The older woman couldn't help but laugh at their reaction. "M-Mother?!" Hayakawa said surprised.

"W-Wait, My Lady. How did you know what we were planning?" Kai asked.

Suikeiin shook her head with a smile. "These walls and doors are not as soundproof as you think," Ujiyasu said as he walked in behind her.

"Eh?! My Lord, you too?!" Kai said.

"You're right though. It is Ren we are talking about. He'd appreciate anything, but I really wanted to find him something special," Hayakawa said sadly.

"In that case, you should get him something that'll help him in a battle. Something that can protect him or keep him a bit safer," Ujiyasu recommended.

"Hm, that is a good idea, but what could we get him? He already has good armor and a good weapon so what else is there?" Kai asked.

Suikeiin rubbed her chin for a bit before getting an idea. "What about a horse?" She suggested.

"A horse?" Hayakawa asked.

"That actually is a pretty good idea. Ren doesn't have his own horse. He usual just uses whichever ones available in the stables," Ujiyasu said.

"Besides, all the best warriors should have a good horse that helps them stand out more. Even though Ren's a pretty well known warrior now, he's still missing one," Suikeiin explained.

"That might be a great idea. I'm sure Ren would love if we got him a good one," Hayakawa said with a smile.

"I hear there's a merchant to the south of town that got a new stock of horses from overseas. Maybe you should go check it out," Ujiyasu said.

"Sounds like a great idea. Come on My Lady, let's go!" Kai exclaimed as she grabbed Hayakawa's hand and led her out the castle.

"Those three are always so adorable together, huh?" Suikeiin said as smiled to Ujiyasu.

Ujiyasu had a small smile on as he began to leave the room. "Heh, I guess so".

(Odawara Castle Town, Kanto)

Later the two women were wandering through the bustling town, looking for the merchant Ujiyasu had talked about.

Everyone they passed through greeted them happily as they navigated through the crowded streets filled with countless people, old, young, merchants, farmers, and samurai alike.

"Ah, the town is as lively as ever today!" Kai said stretching her arms in the air.

"Yes, it is. It's nice to see that it's still so peaceful here in Kanto even with the constant war going on in the land," Hayakawa said smiling.

"Yeah, you're right, My Lady. Now where to find that merchant..." Kai said as she looked around the various shops in the area.

"Father said that he should be in this area. He should have a good number of horses, so whichever one has a fairly big stable is likely to be him," Hayakawa said.

After wandering through the town for several minutes, they came across a merchant with a large shop set up. Next to it was a long stable that held many different horses of various sizes and colors. The two women walked up to the man, who greeted them respectfully. He was an elderly gentleman with a kind face. He short grey hair tied into a small ponytail in the back if his head and a straw hat that was tied to the back of his neck. In his shop, he had a large assortment of items from weapons to armor to gems and jewellery.

"Oh My Ladies, what do I owe the pleasure of you two coming to my humble shop?" The man asked.

"Greetings, we actually came to buy a gift, and I heard from my Father that you had some great items here," Hayakawa said.

"Oh? Lord Hōjō himself recommended me? I don't deserve the honor, but I will gladly help you find whatever it is you're looking for," The man said kindly. The two women nodded as they began to look through the shop.

"So what can I help you find? We have a fairly good selection of goods, as you can see," the man asked as the Hōjō women were examining his various goods.

"We actually came to look for a good horse. Can you help us with that?" Hayakawa asked.

"Oh, a horse? That'll be no problem then. Please follow me," the old man said as he lead them outside. Afterwards he walked to the stables that was connected to the side of the shop.

He then walked up to the first horse and gently caressed it's head. "As you can see, I have a fairly good selection of horses here. Please take a look," he said. The two then began to look through all of his horses, noticing the large variety he had.

"So what kind of horse are you two looking for?" The man asked.

The two thought about it for a while before coming to their own conclusions. Kai walked over to the largest horse which held a dark black color and exclaimed, "Since it's Lord Ren, he needs a a strong and powerful to help him in battle!".

Hayakawa on the other hand, walked over to a tall white horse with a shiny coat of fur. "I think since Ren's a commander, he should have a majestic horse that stands out," Hayakawa said. A few seconds went by and the two young women looked at each other with a questioning look. "Majestic? Surely not, My Lady. Lord Ren needs a horse that's actually effective in battle," Kai argued.

"Strong? True, but since Ren's a commander now, he needs a horse that really makes him known," Hayakawa argued back. As the two bickered, the old merchant awkwardly gave a few coughs which caught their attention.

"Now, now. There's no need to argue. I'm sure theres a horse that fits both of your tastes. Why don't we take a look at all of them first?" The man suggested. The two women sighed simultaneously, "All right...".

"I'm sorry for the outburst, My Lady. I was a little too hotheaded there," Kai said apologetically.

"No... I also overreacted. Besides it's Ren's opinion that matters here, not ours," Hayakawa said. Kai nodded as the two smiled at each other.

"Oh? Lord Ren? Is that who the horse is for?" The old man asked interested.

"Yes, my brother's birthday is coming up next month so we thought we could get him something a little early," Hayakawa replied.

The old merchant smiled and said, "Oh, why didn't you say so earlier? Please pick any horse you like, on the house. I'd be delighted to be able to help give Lord Ren such gift,".

Hayakawa frowned and said," Thank you very much for the generous offer, but we can't possibly take a horse for free. We'll happily pay for it, it's no issue at all,".

The man raised his hand in front of her and softly smiled. "The Hōjō are the reason my business has been able to thrive for so long. Lord Ujiyasu's kind governance and protection have helped us so much over the years. You, My Ladies, as well as the rest of the Hōjō including Lord Ren have done so much for me and the people here. Please just accept this as a small token of my gratitude".

Hayakawa was touched by his words but as she was about to object, Kai grabbed her hand.

"My Lady, I know how you feel but he seems pretty set on this. Why don't we accept for now and find a way to repay him later," Kai whispered.

Hayakawa thought about it for a bit and sighed before taking a look at the old man's smiling face.

"Very well then, since you insist we'll gratefully accept your offer. However, we will be sure to repay your kindness soon," she said.

"Surely there's no need. Please do take a look at them all," he said as he motioned towards the remaining line of horses.

After several minutes of browsing, the two were able to narrow down the possible candidates fairly quickly as they started reaching the end of the stables. As Kai reached the end, she noticed something that caught her eye. At the very end of the stables was a large metal cage which appeared to be extremely fortified. As Kai approached the cage, she was surprised by what was inside.

It was a horse inside that was chained down. The horse stood tall and carried a powerful presence. It was covered with soft orange hair with some strands on it's mane carrying different shades of orange and yellow. Around each of it's legs were cuffs with chains attached to different parts of the cage. The horses eyes were closed as it's mouth also appeared to be cuffed shut.

"H-Hey... what's going on with this horse?" Kai asked nervously. The merchant and Hayakawa both walked over to her and were surprised by the sight as well.

"Why would you lock up a horse like this?" Hayakawa asked the merchant with a frown.

The merchant put his hands up defensively. "N-No, no, you've got it all wrong. The shipment of horses arrived this morning and this came like this. They didn't really tell me why...".

Hayakawa slowly walked up to the cage and put her hand on it. "Why would anyone do something so horrible? Especially to such a beautiful horse..." She asked sadly as she ran her hand through the bars.

The merchant pulled out a scroll from his pocket and began to look through the contents. He then scrolled his finger down to the horse's section and began to read the description.

"Hm... This horse is called the Storm Runner apparently. It came from China after the previous merchant wasn't able to sell it to anyone. It is said to be a descendant of the famous Red Hare..." he read.

"Red Hare?" Kai asked confused.

"I remember reading about it when I was younger. It was a special horse in China during the Han Dynasty over a thousand years ago and was considered to be the fastest horse in the land, easily able to run through mountains as if it were flat land. It was first used by the unmatched warrior Lu Bu and then later by Guan Yu, the God of War," Hayakawa said recalling a book she had read in the past.

"Really?! If it's such a good horse then how come the merchant had to lock it up?" Kai asked confused.

As the merchant continued to read through his scroll, his eyes widened when he reached a certain passage.

"It says that everyone time the previous owner tried to sell it, the horse would instantly go on a rampage and escape. Eventually the horse was caught with tens of soldiers but it left them all heavily injured. Although the horse is so fast and strong, no one he sold it to could control it. Well that explains why he sold it to me so cheaply..." he said rubbing his chin.

"Wow... that's pretty intense," Kai said shocked

"Even so, it's not right to treat this horse like some monster," Hayakawa said with a frown as she slowly reached for the horses head through the bars.

As if on instinct, every other horse in the stables appeared to back away from the direction of the cage with wary looks in their eyes. The moment Hayakawa's hand made contact with Storm Runner's head, it was if a signal went off, making all of the other horses get startled to which the merchant and Kai quickly tried to calm them all down. Just before they could go however, the Storm Runner's eyes opened, each containing a fiery look inside. The horse suddenly started to thrash around which surprised Hayakawa and nearly made her fall back had Kai not caught her.

The horse continued to struggle even harder as the three began to slowly back away from the cage. Soon it gave out a loud cry as it forcibly broke through the shackle around it's mouth. After that was broken, the chains around it's legs were broken even more easily as it continued to thrash around. Once freed it eyed the three who had back away from it. The horse then raised its body and used it's hind legs to send a powerful kick at the door, instantly breaking it and sending it flying towards the trio.

All three then jumped to the side and narrowly avoided getting hit by the flying metal door which landed out in the middle of the street, catching the attention of nearby citizens. With it's path now opened, the horse gave a loud cry and bolted out of the stables on to the streets.

"H-Hey! Wait!" Kai yelled out, but the horse had already disappeared into the city.

"H-How on earth is this possible? I've never seen anything so incredible", the merchant said amazed as he examined the bent and broken parts of the once sturdy iron cage.

"To think a horse has such strength. I'm afraid of what such a temperamental horse will do in the town now that it's on the loose. People could get seriously hurt or even killed," Hayakawa said worried.

"Yeah you're right. It could mean big trouble if we don't catch it soon. Sir, do you mind if we borrow some horses to track it down? We'll return with apl three once we're done," Kai asked pointing to the other horses in the stable.

"O-Of course. Please use them as you see fit. Just please take great care. That horse is unlike any I've ever seen," the man said cautiously.

Kai then proceeded to get on a tall brown horse with a red saddle while Hayakawa hopped on a white horse with a yellow saddle.

"Please wait here, we'll be back soon," Hayakawa said as she and Kai left the stables and began riding through the streets.

O--O

Several minutes later at a certain food market, a large commotion could be heard from outside. Inside the store, an elderly woman took notice of the commotion and slowly got up from behind the counter. Soon a young man rushed inside the store.

"M-Manager! There's something you should see outside!" The young man said hurriedly. She raised her brow as she slowly began to leave the store. Once outside she noticed a rather large crowd gathered in front. What was really surprising however was the source of their gathering. A large horse was in front of the store, casually eating at the vegetables that were on display in the front.

"My, My, what a beautiful horse. Quite hungry I see," the old lady said with a smile as she caressed the horses mane. The horse didn't even bat an eye at her as it continued to eat.

"Mam, we tried to make it go away several times, but it wouldn't budge. What should we do? We can't just let it eat all the food," the young man said worried.

The elderly woman simply smiled and waved her hand at him. "Don't make such a big deal of it. It's only a few vegetables, besides it's not everyday that we see such a unique sight," she said continuing to gently pat the horse, feeling it's soft hair.

Meanwhile the crowd around them was amazed by the presence of the Storm Runner.

"Wow what a pretty horse!" a little girl exclaimed

"What unique colors. You certainly don't see that everyday," a middle aged man stated.

"I wonder who that horse belongs to. Certainly seems to have an attitude," another woman said.

As the crowd continued to mumble behind it, Storm Runner paid them no attention as it nearly finished all of the food. Once it finished, one of it's ears raised and instinctively looked to it's right where there were several buildings that looped around the corner. As if on cue, a few seconds later, Hayakawa and Kai both rode around the corner and spotted him.

"There he is! Come on, My Lady!" Kai roared as the two began to speed towards it. As the drew closer, Storm Runner raised itself into the air and slammed it's legs on to the ground, creating a light shockwave that forced the crowd around it to quickly disperse and run away. It then began to speed through the road as it ran away from it's pursuers. As the three began a high speed chase through the roads of Odawara, it was clear who held the advantage. Within a matter of seconds, the Storm Runner was already over five times farther ahead of the two than it was when they started running. They were able to quickly realize the differences in speed as the two women found their horses to have been dwarfed by the Storm Runner.

"What?! How is that thing so fast?!" Kai exclaimed as the Storm Runner was already nearly out of sight.

"That's unbelievable... these horses we're using are already much faster than normal ones and yet it's still so much faster..." Hayakawa said, shocked.

As the three continued the chase through the crowded streets of people, the Storm Runner was almost far ahead enough to lose the two. Seeing this, Kai quickly pulled out her sword and pulled it back.

"Don't think you'll get away so easily!" she roared as she swung her sword causing it to extend far ahead. Soon it was mere inches away from wrapping around the horses leg. As if sensing the incoming attack, it looked back and sent a strong kick with it's hind leg which deflected the blade far back towards her. Hayakawa was the next to make her move. She pulled out her weapon and upon seeing that the road between them was clear of people, she sent an ice wave at the ground near the horse. Storm Runner sensed the attack coming and instantly jumped into the air. This was Hayakawa's plan however, as soon the entire ground beneath it was completely frozen in a layer of ice.

The horse remained undeterred however, as it descended back down. A bright glimmer of light appeared from it's body and disappeared quickly, but was visible just long enough for Kai and Hayakawa to notice. Soon the horse smashed it's legs down onto the ice, instantly causing it to shatter, clearing it's path forward as it continued to run ahead. The two women were still shocked by what they had just witnessed. The glowing aura that the horse emitted from it's body earlier remained vivid in their thoughts

"W-Was that..." Kai asked slowly as she recalled the light that came from the horse.

"That's impossible... could it have been just our imagination? It was able to counter our attacks so easily though and that aura..." Hayakawa said in disbelief.

Soon their chase came to end when Storm Runner had disappeared from their line of sight with it's superior speed. The two pulled their horses to a halt to try and survey their surroundings.

"Damn it! It's too fast!" Kai said frustrated.

"We can't match it's speed and it looks like frontal attacks won't work either. We have to catch it by surprise somehow..." Hayakawa said.

"Hey! What the hell is going on here?!" A familiar voice roared as the two women took notice. Appearing from the onlooking crowd, Ujiyasu walked to the front of the two women who were surprised by his sudden appearance.

"Father?" Hayakawa said shocked.

"I've been getting a ton of reports about some kind of horse problem in town. It's doing a lot of damage and it's even wounded some of the guards. Just what is going on?" Ujiyasu asked irritated.

"W-Well... you see..." Kai stuttered with a light laugh. After explaining their current predicament, Ujiyasu sighed and squeezed the bridge if his nose.

"That's some horse, huh?" Ujiyasu said rubbing his eyes.

"What should we do? We can't let it go wild forever," Kai said.

Ujiyasu removed his hands from his eyes and said, "I've already had some people sent to catch it, but if what you told me is true then you two had better go and help. You two caused the problem, so now you have to fix it".

"Yes, sir..." the two mumbled as they remounted their horses and rode off.

"These kids..." Ujiyasu sighed to himself.

O--O

As the Storm Runner was running rampant through Odawara, most of the civilians were told to remain on alert in case it happened to stumble upon their area. As such everyone failed to notice they flurry of figures that were racing across the tiled roofs of the buildings around town.

Leading the pack was Ryuto, who had a irritated look on his face which could be seen through his mask. Behind him was Isuke and six other Fuma ninja.

"Tch, catching a runaway horse, really? We're ninja, why did we get such a trivial task?" Ryuto asked with irritation in his voice. Isuke gave a light laugh at his friends reaction.

"Now, now, I know how you feel, but these orders come straight from both Lord Hōjō and our master. Let's just get this done, alright?" Isuke assured. Ryuto was still unconvinced and sighed.

"Couldn't they have just sent some guards after it? I mean there should be plenty around town, there's no need for us to get involved in something so pointless," Ryuto muttered.

"Well, you see, about that..." Isuke started.

They all slid to halt however when they caught a glimpse of an orange and yellow horse down bellow. It was currenly surrounded by a group of Hōjō guards in the middle of the road. They all held spears up to it to try and keep it it in place.

"We finally got you. Everyone, start leading it away," the commander ordered as his men draw their spears closer to it to try and make it move. The Storm Runner remained unflinching, however even as they drew closer.

"Come on! Let's go!" one of the soldiers ordered as he lightly poked the horse with his spear. As soon as the horse felt the cold metal tap it's body, it quickly became angered. Before anyone could react, it swiftly kicked away two soldiers that were behind it, sending them flying several meters down the road. It then grabbed the spear that was poking it earlier with it's mouth, and began to swing it along with the soldier holding it around. It the let go of the spear which threw the man at the soldiers that were surrounding it and knocked them all down at once with a loud grunt. All that remained was the commander, who was still shocked by what he had just witnessed.

"W-what the hell is this thing..." he stuttered as he drew his blade. Storm Runner quickly appeared close to him and raised it's body which towered over the man. Without anytime to dodge, he raised his sword in an attempt to block the incoming strike. This proved futile however, as the sword instantly shattered when the horse stomped down on him, resulting in his being crushed by the horse on his chest. He let out a pained groan as his eyes rolled into the back of his head from the pain. With all of it's attackers quelled, Storm Runner immediately began running ahead with all of the townspeople clearing it's path in fear and shock after witnessing the wild horse effortlessly dispatch those men.

From the top of the building, the ninja were all dumbfounded by the sight. Isuke whistled upon seeing the state of the men.

"Still think this is a trivial mission?" He asked sarcastically to Ryuto as they all landed down on the street. After having the ninja check on the state of the men, Ryuto found them all to be unconscious and injured. He then looked over to the townspeople, who began to crowd around them.

"Can I ask you all to get these men medical attention? My men and I will handle the horse," he ordered them as they all quickly nodded and began to crowd around the men and carry them away.

Once the crowd was gone, Ryuto looked to Isuke.

"We'll split our group in two. You go left and I'll go right. Let's just get this over with and go home," Ryuto ordered as he and his half of the ninja jumped onto the rooftops of the right side of the road.

"As impatient as ever, huh?" Isuke smiled through his mask as he motioned to the three ninja behind him. They all quickly jumped onto the left side of the buildings and began to trail after the Storm Runner.

In a matter of seconds, they were able to catch up to the galloping horse, who appeared unaware of their presence.

Ryuto quickly formed a hand signal to Isuke, who quickly nodded. Ryuto then looked back at the three behind him, and gestured to them with his hand. They quickly got the message and jumped down from the building. At the same time the three ninjas behind Isuke also began their descent. Each one pulled out a chain and threw them at different directions. The flurry of chains made the Storm Runner stop in it's tracks as the began to fly through the horse. Several went under the horse's legs while others went past it's head and back. As the chains reached the opposite sides of the road, a ninja grabbed the opposite end with each one holding two different chains, one of which from a ninja on the opposite end.

Soon the horse found itself bound completely as there were chains wrapped around it's legs, body, and neck which were held in place by the six ninja. The loud rattling of the chains resonated through the area as the ninja were struggling to hold the horse in place. Just as Ryuto and Isuke were about to jump down, the horse let out a powerful cry. It brought it's head down to a chain that was wrapped around it's leg. It then opened it's mouth and bit down on the chain with incredible force, instantly shattering it, much to the shock of the ninja. With it's legs free, the Storm Runner raised it's body which swept them all off of their feet before they could react. The horse then began to swing them all through the air with it's body. It pulled a set of chains down, slamming the pair of ninjas af the ends of it down onto the ground, creating two large craters in front of it. Then in the process of swinging the remaining four ninjas, two of them were slammed into each other, knocking them out instantly and causing them to fall back down with a thud.

Reacting as quickly as he could, Isuke threw two shurikens which snapped the remaining chains, allowing for the last two ninja's to land and recomposs themselves. Each of the three then drew their swords and dashed at the horse from different directions. After taking note of the locations of each of the three, Storm Runner slammed it's legs onto the ground, creating a shockwave that covered the area in dirt and dust. With their vision impaired, two of the ninja stopped to try and locate the horse. One of them was caught by surprise however, when he felt something on his back. In an instant he was sent to the ground by a powerful force with the ground cracking below him, knocking him out instantly. Hearing the sound, the ninja next to him quickly moved to his location. There he found him in a crater, completely knocked out. Wary of his surroundings, he kept his sword close while carefully eyeing for movement in the dust. Sensing movement behind him, he swung his sword backwards into the dust. His eyes widened when he felt something stopped his sword. As the dust began to slowly disperse, it revealed his sword being held by the Storm Runner's mouth.

Before he could pull it away, the horse bit down, shattering the blade into many pieces. The ninja attempted to jump away, but he was swiftly kicked by the horses front leg, sending him flying into the wall of a nearby building. As the dust began to clear further, the horse stood in place to survey it's surroundings. Unbeknownst to it, a light figure quickly began to descend from above it. Isuke had his sword drawn as he was quietly diving towards the horse. Right when he was less than a foot away, the horse's instincts were able to allow it to detect the quiet ninja. Just before the blade hit it's mark, the horse reflexively moved out of the way.

Once Isuke landed on the ground, he frowned as he and horse were staring each other down.

"Damn, this horse is something else. This mission is turning out to be far more troublesome than I expected," Isuke mumbled as he got into his stance. He then rushed towards the horse and tried to slash it. It raised it's body to dodge the blade then began to bring it's legs down towards Isuke. The ninja quickly jumped backwards to avoid the attack, but then time seemed to slow down. Somehow the horse had managed to close the distance between the two in the split second it brought it's legs down.

As Isuke stared at the horse, which seemed to be charging towards him in slow motion, his mind began to race.

"(Impossible! It couldn't have possibly been that fast!)" he thought frantically as time seemed to be speeding up again. He then saw a light blue trail which was being emanated from it's body. Isuke's eyes widened as he came to a shocking revelation.

"(No way... you're telling me the reason this horse is so tough is because of Mu-)"

He didn't have time to finish his thought as he was rammed in the chest by the horse with astounding power. Isuke was sent flying by the tackle into a stack of crates nearby which toppled over him as he hit it. Afterwards the dust fully dispersed, allowing for the area to become fully visible again. Seeing all of it's foes out of commission, the Storm Runner prepared to continue on it's way. Just before it left, it noticed something out of the corner of it's eye.

The horse quickly jumped to the side, as three small arrows were suddenly embedded into the ground where it used to stand. Looking up, it saw Ryuto, who had a serious expression through his mask.

"There's no doubt about it. In that moment when he attacked Isuke, it's speed and power boosted dramatically. To think it's able to use Musou, what a pain," Ryuto said as his blades revealed themselves from his gauntlets. In a red flash, he rapidly jumped down towards the horse.

"There's going to be almost no chance of us capturing this thing with it being able to use Musou. What a bother, but it looks like I'm going to have to kill a horse today," Ryuto stated as his blade drew closer to the horse. The horse quickly parried his attack with a kick. Just before the kick landed, Ryuto flipped his body so that his legs would land on the horses leg and used it to gently spring off backwards. Once he landed, he dashed towards the horse once again. This time, it jumped over his attack and tried to slam down on him. A massive shockwave was created once the horse landed, but there was no sign of Ryuto. Soon after, he reappeared next to the horse. Storm Runner began to let off an orange glow as it rushed towards Ryuto.

Soon the two began a high speed battle within the area. Bright streaks of red and orange could be seen constantly coming into contact with each other. Despite the clash going on for several minutes, neither one could land a hit on the other as they kept dodging. Soon Storm Runner managed to land a kick on Ryuto, who was able to block the attack. The kick was still strong enough to send him skidding back although he was still able to avoid taking any damage. Seeing a good amount of distance now between it and the ninja, Storm Runner began to flee away at full speed.

"You're not getting away!" Ryuto exclaimed as he prepared to sprint towards the horse. He stopped however, once he heard the sound of two horses coming closer to his postion. As he looked over his shoulder, he saw Kai and Hayakawa racing over to him.

"Ryuto? What are you doing here?" Kai asked as she and Hayakawa dismounted in front of him.

Ryuto quickly bowed before them and said, "We were ordered to find a wild horse in the city by Lord Ujiyasu. I was just in the middle of fighting it when you arrived".

Kai looked around at the unconscious ninjas in the area and whistled. "It looks like it really did a number on you guys," Kai said.

They all turned their heads to the side once they heard a rustling sound nearby. They looked over to see Isuke pushing the pile of crates off his body and slowly get up.

"Isuke! Are you alright?" Hayakawa asked worriedly as she helped him up. Isuke quickly bowed to her and said, "Don't worry, My Lady. Just got caught off guard is all".

"We don't have time to waste right now. Isuke, you take care of everyone here. I'll go find that horse," Ryuto said as he rushed in the direction of the horse.

"Hey, wait! Not again!" Kai yelled angrily at the ninja.

Hayakawa sighed as she remounted her horse followed by Kai. "Isuke, we'll leave the others to you. We'll go after Ryuto".

"Yes, My Lady," Isuke stated before running over to the other ninjas. The two ladies then quickly raced after Ryuto on their mounts. Soon they caught up to him when he was in the midst of trailing after Storm Runner. Seeing the horse ahead, the three diligently stayed on it's trail. It then reached a corner and rapidly turned to the right. The three followed soon after and were shocked by what they saw.

Several meters ahead of the Storm Runner, they saw a small teahouse with several people sitting outside. One of them was Ren, who appeared to be waiting for his food. Soon a young waitress carrying a tray with tea on it approached him.

"Here you go, Lord Ren. Please enjoy," she said politely with a light blush as she set his drink in front of him.

"Thank you so much. You've always been so kind everytime I come here," Ren said with light smile. The waitresses face turned a bright shade of red as she covered her face with the tray.

"P-Please let me know if you need anything else!" She exclaimed nervously as she began to scurry away. Ren had a confused look as he gripped his cup. Just before he took a sip, he heard a loud rumbling sound followed by panicked screams. He looked over to see people jumping from their seats as Storm Runner charged through. Directly in front of it's path was the waitress, who had no time to react or scream as the horse drew closer in an instance.

Just before it hit her, she felt something shove her to ground, just narrowly avoiding the horse. She slowly opened her eyes to see Ren on top of her. Her face began burning redat the sight of him so close. Hayakawa and Kai who had just arrived had their mouths wide open with matching red faces. Ren slowly got up and extended a hand to her.

"Are you hurt at all?" Ren asked worriedly. She slowly gripped his hand and it appeared as though smoke was coming from her head.

"U-um, y-yes! I'm fine! I'll go and see if everyone is alright!" She exclaimed as she ran off with her face covered by her hands. Ren then noticed the arrival of the other three with two of them notably glaring and pouting at him, and Ryuto giving them the same confused look that Ren had.

"So... does anyone want to explain what's going on here?" He asked as he pointed to the Storm Runner which was staring them down from the middle of the road.

Hayakawa snapped out of her irritation and remembered their current predicament. After quickly explaining what had transpired to him, he looked back intently at the horse

"So a horse that can use Musou, huh?" He said as the horse eyed their every move. Ren then slowly approached the horse.

"Wait! It's too dangerous to get close to that thing!" Kai warned.

Ren continued to carefully walk to the horse until the two were mere inches from each other in the middle of the road. Ren then slowly reached out his hand to horse, who was wary of his sudden action.

Just as he placed his hand on it's head, a surge of Musou sparked between them. Suddenly a flash of images appeared in Ren's mind. In those images, he saw a large group of men tying up the Storm Runner and others of it fighting against what appeared to be foreign soldiers. The next image was the sight of the ocean through iron bars on a ship. He then came to the realization that he was seeing through the horse's memories. Storm Runner on the hand, was able to see Sensing Ren's power, the horse sudden let out a fierce cry as it raised it's body. Ren jumped back just before the horse stomped on the ground.

The horse then glared intently at Ren, who could feel the horse's power radiating from it's body.

"(At that moment when we touched, I could feel not just the horse's Musou, but also it's feelings... I wonder... could it also have felt mine?)" Ren thought , recalling the moment they touched.

Storm Runner then charged directly towards Ren, who had no time to dodge the incoming attack. Standing his ground, he placed his hands out and braced for the horse's impending attack. His hands then met the horse's head as it ge attempted to stop the horse. Ren soon found himself being rapidly pushed back as the Storm Runner began to overpower him. He felt his feet sliding along the ground as he struggled to keep his grip on the horse's head.

"I get that you're pretty angry. Being captured and sent to a foreign land you don't even know... I'm sorry you had to go through all of that," Ren said as his arm and leg muscles tightened which began to slow down the rate at which he was being pushed. Soon they came to an abrupt stop as the horse soon found itself unable to move forward anymore.

"But... I won't stand for anyone causing trouble here in Kantō. Not even a horse!" Ren yelled out as Musou began to explode around him. Storm Runner's eyes narrowed as it saw the the silhouette of a dragon. He then tightened his grip on the horse and began to twist his body. With one mighty movement, he completely swept the horse clean off it's feet and slammed it down to the ground below, creating a large shockwave through the area.

Once the dust cleared, Ren was panting as he held his hand on the horse's body, preventing it from getting up. The others then quickly ran up to him.

"Now that it's down, I say we finish it off," Ryuto said coldly as he extended his gauntlet blade.

"No! The whole point of this was to return the horse back to the merchant!" Kai yelled at him.

"No," Ren interjected the pair as a gave them a serious look. He then looked back at the horse and continued," I think we should let it go".

"What?!" Kai questioned with her mouth wide open.

"My Lord, I don't think this is a good idea. This thing is far too dangerous to just let go," Ryuto said.

"Besides we went through all this trouble to catch it," Kai said.

Ren sighed, "I know how you all feel but... In that moment I was able to feel what it's gone through. It's a proud and strong animal that's been chained down for most of it's life. No wonder it's so temperamental. I just think it deserves to live it's life like anyone else".

Hayakawa put her hand on his shoulder gave him a worried look. "Are you sure that's what you want, Ren?"

Ren gave her a reassuring look as he took his hand off the horse and stood up.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Don't worry I'll pay the merchant whatever he wants. I just want it to go free," he said with a determined look in his eyes.

Feeling Ren's hand no longer holding it down, Storm Runner then slowly pushed itself back on to it's feet. The horse then looked at Ren straight in the eye, almost as if it were examining him.

"I'm not going to hurt you. If you follow me, I'll let you go free," Ren said as he began to walk in front of the horse. He then motioned his hand for the horse to follow him. Sensing no ill intentions from Ren, Storm Runner began to slowly follow him with the others warily following behind it.

After several minutes of walking they reached the outer gates of the city. The horse looked at the wide fields around the road that led to the gate. A small forest with tall and thick trees lied in the distance. It then looked at Ren, who gave it a slow nod. It took several slow steps forward while keeping a close eye on the group. Once it made it's way past the gate, the horse began to gallop towards the fields at full speed, leaving an orange blur as it ran. In a matter of seconds, it moved beyond the horizon and disappeared from sight.

Kai gave a loud sigh as she crouched down. "I'm so tired... I'm so glad that's over".

Ryuto crossed his arms and closed his eyes. "I still think we should've killed it. What if it causes trouble in another city or for travelers? This may come back to haunt us later.

Ren gave a small smile, "Maybe, but we'll take care of it if comes to that. Besides, I feel like we made the right choice". He then looked over to see Hayakwa, who had a disappointed look on her face.

"What's wrong?" He asked worriedly for his sister.

She shook her head. "It's nothing. It's just that Kai and I really wanted to get you a nice horse to surprise you, but we ended up causing so much trouble for you".

Ren smiled at her and looked straight into her sky blue eyes. "No, it makes me really happy that you two wanted to do something so nice for me. Besides if you two hadn't gone to that merchant, then it's likely that the Storm Runner would've been stuck there and would've caused trouble later. It's good that we were able to set it free now rather than later".

She smiled at him and said, "Yes, you're right. But it looks like we'll need to find something else for you".

The four of them then began to walk back until they sensed something coming towards them. Ryuto reacted first and instinctively drew his blades and turned back. He was surprised by the sight of the Storm Runner racing back towards them.

"Is it coming back to attack?" Ryuto asked as he got in position to attack. Ren put a hand in front of him.

"No, I don't feel any hostility", Ren said as he slowly walked forward. The horse then stopped as it reached them.

"What's the matter?" Ren asked with a brow raised. The horse simply stayed still and stared into Ren's onyx colored eyes. It then slowly approached Ren and lowered it's head in front of him.

"Are you..." Ren slowly reached out his hand and touched it on the head. In that moment, he felt his Musou resonating with the horse's much like before. This time however, he felt a warmth coming from enveloping his body. He was then able to feel the horse's intentions almost perfectly.

"A-Are you sure you want to?" Ren asked surprised at the sudden change of heart. As if responding to his question, Storm Runner walked towards the front of the gate and lowered it's body to ground. Getting message, Ren climbed on to the horses back as it raised itself back up. Seeing the view from atop the horse, Ren's mouth curved to a warm smile.

"Well I guess you two really did end up getting me a horse after all," he said with small laugh.

"No way! After all the trouble this thing has caused, there's no way we can keep it!" Kai argued which earned her a glare from the horse.

"I concur. This sounds like a bad idea to me," Ryuto stated.

Hayakawa placed her hand on Kai's shoulder and smiled at her. "It's probably alright. If anyone can keep an eye on it, it's Ren. Besides we wanted to find him a good steed anyway right? Well I don't know where you can find a faster, stronger, or more unique horse anywhere around here, can you?" Hayakawa assured.

"Well... I guess you have a point," Kai sighed, defeated.

"I still think this a bad idea, but you are the boss. I'll go and check up on Isuke on the others," Ryuto said as he vanished from sight.

Hayakawa and Kai gasped when they remembered all the damages to the city that caused from their little chase. Seeing their worried faces, Ren offered to help them pay and repair for the destruction. The two women quickly stopped him.

"This is your gift, we'll take care of everything else. You should take that horse back to the castle stables," Hayakawa suggested. Ren was about to suggest helping them anyway but Hayakawa quickly predicted what he was about to say and gave him a hard stare. Ren sighed knowing that there was no point in arguing with her when she gave him that look. Instead he dismounted and gave the two a quick hug.

"Thank you two so much... I so lucky to have you two", Ren said warmly as he tightened his hug. Hayakawa and Kai felt their faces burning up but hugged him back anyway with massive smiles on their faces. Feeling their combined warmth, the three wished that they could've stayed like that forever.

O--O

(Castle Stables, Odawara Castle)

Later as the sun began to set, the stables were empty aside from Ren and Ujiyasu who were tending to Storm Runner. Inside the large pen, the Storm Runner now stood with a silver plated armor on it's head and legs. A saddle matching it's bright colors had been placed on it's back as well as an additional silver plate on it's front with some orange cloth hanging from it. Ren was in the middle of brushing it's hair while Ujiyasu watched.

"I have to admit, those two found you one hell of a horse," Ujiyasu complimented as he smoked from his pipe.

"Yeah, I'm really lucky to have everyone," Ren happily said as he continued to brush the horse, which had a relaxed look on it's face.

"This thing really did a lot damage though. I'm sure those two are going to be busy fixing up the town for a good while. Not only that but, thanks to it, a lot of soldiers are going to be out for the count for a while," Ujiyasu said sighing.

Ren let out a nervous chuckle. "Don't worry Father, I'll be sure to keep a close eye on it. I'll also compensate the soldiers too".

"Good, you have to take responsibility for your family. That includes this horse now too," He said pointing to the horse with his pipe. As they continued their conversation, a worried looking messenger bursted through the stable doors. He had a worried grimace on his face and was sweating profusely.

"My Lord! Thank goodness I finally found you!" He exclaimed as he ran up to him bowed.

"Calm down! What's the matter?" Ujiyasu asked as he helped the messenger up.

"My Lord... I-It's the Takeda! Shingen has cut off his alliance with the Imagawa and has launched a full scale attack on Suruga!"

 **All right guys I'm sorry about the delay. I just found out that I never uploaded this chapter even though I was done with it a few weeks ago. I have no idea why but I thought I already had. Sooooorrrrryyyyyyy!!! My bad...- EpicZL**


	11. Rescue at Suruga

**And I am back! Don't worry guys, I have not forgotten about this story, I just wanted to get a few chapters in for my other story first. So anyway, back to business as usual, relax and enjoy the chapter!**

Chapter 11: Rescue at Suruga

(Sunpu Manor, Suruga)

"Hm, that old Shingen is certainly serious this time," Ujiyasu said lazily as he viewed the sight below him.

After receiving word of Shingen's campaign against the Imagawa, Ujiyasu together with his children apart from Ujimasa and Ujinori, as well as Tsunashige, Kai, Ryuto, and Kotarō immediately set out to aid them. They had just arrived at Suruga and carefully surveyed the battle field from atop a cliff. Sunpu Manor, the Imagawa's main base was under heavy siege by the Takeda forces, and their red banners and armor completely covered the battlefield.

"I knew the situation was bad, but this is something else. I don't see a single Imagawa soldier down there," Ren noted, as there was not a single man from the Imagawa outside of the castle. Ryuto and Kotarō then appeared beside him. Ryuto bowed to Ren before reporting, "We've scouted the area, and the situation is not good. Most of the Imagawa forces have either defected or been defeated. Aside from a small unit to the north, only Master Yasutomo and Lady Naotora are left defending the castle.

"It's become quite chaotic down there. At this rate, the Imagawa will be swallowed up by the tiger's fangs," Kotarō said amused much to Ujiyasu's annoyance.

"I'm not going to let that happen. I can't let the once proud Imagawa end like this. At the very least, we need to save Yoshimoto's son. He'll never be able to rest in peace if we can't even do that much," Ujiyasu said seriously as stared at the enemy formation below the cliff. Hayakawa smiled at her father's stubborn resolve as she put a hand over her heart.

"Yes, you're right Father. We should make our move soon. Ryuto, how are the Imagawa fairing right now?" Ren asked.

"It's not good. The Imagawa officers Nobuteru Sena and Nobuoki Asahina defected as soon as the Takdda arrived, likely meaning they had already planned for this. Most of the Imagawa army was quickly defeated by the Takeda and now they've been pushed to the castle gates. The Imagawa unit to the north is currently isolated so they won't be able to reach the castle. I'd say as things are now, the castle will fall within the hour," Ryuto assessed calmly. Everyone then turned their attention to the sound of hurried footsteps coming their way. A messenger in the Imagawa's green and purple armor rushed to Ujiyasu with a worried face and bowed before him.

"L-Lord Uiyasu! I bring news! General Ujimoto Katsurayama and General Yoshiakira Miura have defected to the Takeda! They have joined up with Takeda at their northern camp!" He reported with fearful face.

"I'm guessing those two were in charge of that northern unit you talking about," Ren said, looking at Ryuto, who nodded in response.

"Come on! What's wrong with all these Imagawa guys? Doesn't anyone have any loyalty?" Kai asked annoyed.

"You can't really blame them. In these times loyalty, friendships, and even family don't mean much to people, just survival and ambition. Just look at Shingen. His son, Yoshinobu's wife was Ujizane's sister. He was willing to have them both killed for the chance to destroy Imagawa," Tsunashige explained.

"This is hardly the first time Shingen's done something like that. Beside's this is still pretty troublesome. Without those two, only Yasutomo and Lady Naotora are left. Despite how tough they are, they won't last much longer. This situation just keeps getting worse," Ujiyasu sighed.

"Maybe not. This might actually make things easier for us," Ren interjected with a serious face. Ujiyasu turned around with an intrigued look.

"Oh? You've got a plan to get through this, boy?" Ujiyasu asked curiously.

"I think so. If everything goes according to plan, then I believe our chances aren't half bad," Ren said confidently.

"Hm, alright then. At this point we need any idea we can get. I'll leave you in charge of in this battle, this is a good opportunity to see how you do against the Tiger of Kai," Ujiyasu said. Ren bowed before looking back towards everyone, who were eagerly awaiting his orders.

"Father, I need you along with Hayakawa and Kotarō to head to the southern gate where Lady Naotora is. The enemy forces there aren't as dense so it shouldn't be too difficult for you to break through. That way, we'll be able to reach Lord Ujizane quickly," Ren ordered.

"Very well, we'll save Lady Naotora and Lord Ujizane, no matter what," Hayakawa said, determined as Ujiyasu lazily nodded.

"Master Tsunashige, you will be important for this plan to work. I need you together with Kai and Ujikuni to head north, but don't make a move. I need you to stay hidden and not do anything until I give you the signal," Ren ordered.

"Hm, I can't say I know what you're planning but I trust you, Young Master. Leave it us," Tsunashige said, smiling at the young man.

Turning to Ryuto, he ordered, "Ryuto, you will go and cut off the enemy's supply line. With a force this large, they must have a steady supply line to maintain it. It will be you're job to take care it," Ren said. Ryuto nodded before immediately disappearing and heading off.

"Ujiteru and I will charge through the center and draw the enemy's attention. This will give everyone a chance to make their moves. Afterwards we'll immediately head towards the western gate where Master Yasutomo is fighting," Ren said looking at his brother who nodded reassuringly.

"You'll be taking quite a risk you know. Fighting the brunt of the Takeda forces is no easy task. There's a good chance you'll get killed out there," Ujiyasu warned seriously.

"I know. The Takeda are a force that matches even the Uesugi, perhaps even surpasses them. Don't worry Father, I promise no matter what, we'll all make it back home together along with Lord Ujizane and everyone else," Ren reassured with a determined look. See his son's face, Ujiyasu couldn't help but smile.

"Heh, if you're that confident, then let's see what you can do. Don't die alright?" Ujiyasu said as he mounted his horse. Ren nodded before getting on his new mount, Storm Runner. Everyone else followed suit and prepared to head out.

"With Tatsu, I'll be able to break through and come back in no time," Ren said, rubbing the now armored Storm Runner's head.

"Tatsu? That's what you're calling that thing?" Kai asked as she mounted her horse.

"Yeah, Hayakawa helped me pick out his name, he seems to like it," Ren said as the horse let out strong cry.

"I still can't believe you kept this monste- kyah!" Kai yelped out as she saw the horse give her an angry look which scared both her and her own horse which moved away a little.

"Hehe, I guess he still doesn't fully get along with people other Ren," Hayakawa giggled at Kai's interaction with the horse. Ren, who couldn't hold back a laugh at their conversation, then looked below the cliff with determined face.

"(Lord Yoshimoto, Mother... hold on just a little longer)," He thought as he brandished his blade. Raising it into the air, Ujiteru and the their units all prepared to move.

"Alright everyone, advance! Save the Imagawa and defeat the Takeda!" Ren roared out as Tatsu raised itself into the air, and quickly charging down the hill with incredible speed. Ujiteru let out his own battle cry as their respective units charged after him. Everyone else began to pray for their success as they awaited their chance to move. Hayakawa looked on as she saw Ren move further and further away.

"(Please, Ren. Come back safe...)" Hayakawa prayed as moved closer to the unsuspecting Takeda army.

(Play Conflagration (Hōjō) - Suruga)

"Charge!" Ren ordered as they quickly moved down the hill. They first saw a large unit of Takeda soldiers who looked shocked as they realized the Hōjō army's presence. Their once sturdy formation immediately fell into chaos and crumbled as the Hōjō army crashed into them.

"It's the Hōjō! All forces stop them!" A Takeda commander ordered. Nodding, all of the Takeda's calvary in the area began charging towards the newcomers. As two of them reached Ren, they simultaneously lunged their spears at him. Ren swiftly ducked below them and slashed them both across their abdomen, instantly killing them as they fell from their mounts. Meanwhile Ujiteru was currently locked in a clash with three soldiers, who were steadily overpowering him. Letting out a fierce roar, he pushed them away and while they were open, he swiftly cut them all down with his long sword. As he saw three more enemies charging towards him, he pulled his rifle from his back and accurately fired three rounds, instantly puncturing his enemies.

Setting his sights on the commander, Ren began to rush towards his position. Seeing this, five more cavalrymen advanced to intercept him. Seeing the gap between them, Tatsu increased it's speed many times over, closing the distance between them and the Takeda forces. Between they even had time to be surprised, Tatsu raised it's body and stomped on the soldiers and their horses, effectively crushing them into the ground. It then jumped into the air over the three remaining cavalrymen, who could only look up in awe. Panicked the commander tried to pull out his sword, only to swiftly cut down by Ren when he landed. Coughing up blood at the gash made on his chest, the commander fell from his horse, much to the horror and shock of his men.

"C-Commander! This is bad, call for reinforcements back from the castle now!" A soldier ordered, as several cavalrymen began to head towards Sunpu Manor. Ren and Ujiteru saw this and nodded to each other as they allowed the messengers to escape. Knowing their mission, the brother's and their men charged back into the fray against the Takeda forces.

On the hill above, the rest of the Hōjō forces watched as several contingents of the Takeda forces moved from the castle towards the center of the battlefield where the fighting was intensifying by the second. Seeing his opportunity, Ujiyasu put away his pipe as prepared to head out.

"Alright everyone! You have your missions. Let's hurry and save my idiot nephew before it's too late. The longer we take, the more in danger my boys will be, so no slacking off!" Ujiyasu commanded seriously as his men cheered. The Hōjō Daimyo then began to rush to the southern side of the castle together with his daughter and ninja close behind him. Tsunashige took his his unit and began riding northwards through the forest in order to avoid being spotted. Soon the battle between Ambition and Family would intensify to a new level, and little did Ren and the Hōjō know, they would soon come face to face with a man who would play a major role in their future.

(Takeda Main Camp, Suruga)

"So Ujiyasu has come himself, eh? Looks like things won't be as easy as I had hoped," A man in a bright red mask said, as he continued to wave his iron fan towards himself. He sat in the center of his camp, guarded closely by many elite soldiers, as he listened to messengers reports. All over the camp were the red banners of the Takeda as well as banners that held his signature "Furin Kazan" letters.

"So far, we have not sighted Ujiyasu on the battlefield, but our scouts say that he led his forces from Odawara in person. So far, only his son's Ren and Ujiteru have appeared. Their are putting up a fierce fight in the center of battlefield, many of our men so far have been very impressed by the Hōjō's fighting spirit," a messenger reported as he kneeled before the Takeda lord.

"Ren Hōjō... that's old Shigeuji's son from the Aizu clan if I remember correctly. He must be quite something to give us this much trouble with only a limited number of men. If even Kenshin acknowledged him then he must surely be one to watch out for," Shingen mumbled as he began to rub his chin through his mask.

"What should we do then, My Lord?" the messenger asked worried.

"Don't worry. We'll leave this to Katsuyori and Masayuki, I'm sure they'll be fine. This is also a good chance to see exactly what this so called Dragon of Kanto is capable of," Shingen said with a small smile on his face.

(Sunpu Manor Southern Gate, Suruga)

"Oh, why is this happening to me? Is this the end?" Ujizane cried out as his body began to tremble. He was currently completely surrounded by a horde of Takeda troops. Beside him were a few desperate Imagawa guards and Naotora, who was trying her hardest to defend her incapable lord.

"Lord Ujizane, this is no time to be panicking! Oh, that was really rude of me to say, I'm so sorry!" Naotora exclaimed in embarrassment as she covered her face with her hands. Quickly remembering their current predicament, she regained her composure and got back into her fighting stance. Seeing no way out from the enemy encirclement, and with them continuing to close in on them, Naotora began to lose hope in the situation. She then braced herself as the Takeda soldiers began to charge towards them. Just before they reached them, Naotora heard five consecutive gunshots with five Takeda soldiers falling down soon after. She then noticed the ground below the Takeda soldiers get frozen along with their feet, stopping them all in place. A dark red streak suddenly appeared and fluidly moved through each of the soldiers, as suddenly they coughed up blood and fell to ground, defeated. Her eyes brightened up and nearly began to tear as she saw familiar faces staring back at her from behind where the Takeda forces had came from. She saw her saviors in the form of Ujiyasu, Kotaro, and Hayakawa together with a small contingent of men behind them.

"L-Lord Ujizane! They're here!" Naotora cheerfully said to her lord, who was curled into a ball on the ground with his eye's tightly closed shut.

"I-I know... Please make it quick and don't hurt me..." He mumbled fearfully as he anticipated the Takeda to take him.

"You idiot, we're not the Takeda. Open your eyes already, you coward," Ujiyasu sighed as he walked up the curled up lord. Opening his eyes, they began to tear up as he saw the sight of his uncle's annoyed face above him.

"U-Uncle! You came! I can't believe it, I was so scared!" Ujizane cried out as he moved to hug Ujiyasu, who stopped him by grabbing him by the back of his collar and lifting him up.

"Yeah, yeah. You're a lot more trouble than you're worth, but I couldn't just let you get taken out by Takeda," Ujiyasu said, setting his nephew back down on to the ground. Ujizane continued to express his gratitude to Ujiyasu, as all of his remaining guards let out a sigh of relief and sat down on the ground in exhaustion.

"Is this all that's left, where everyone else?" Hayakawa asked, seeing only a few tens of soldiers around them. Naotora sighed as she explained, "Yes... this is all that's left aside from Master Yasutomo's unit, I'm afraid. We had to gather just about every single soldier in left in our lands just to protect this place and it still wasn't enough. Everyone else has either been defeated or left to a different clan".

"The Imagawa's days are numbered then. At this rate, will this battles outcome even matter," Kotaro asked, amused.

"Quiet, ghost. They aren't done just yet. For now let's focus on Tiger in front of us, then we can deal with what comes next after. Get Ujizane into the castle and stay on guard. We'll handle the defenses of the south here," Ujiyasu ordered to which Imagawa men nodded and entered the castle with their lord.

"Lady Naotora, aren't you going too? I'm sure you must be tired after all that fighting, we'll handle the rest," Hayakawa said, concerned for her friend.

"I can't do that. Ii Family Precept, always stand by your comrades! You all have done so much for us, I can't just force you to take on our battles like this alone. Besides Master Yasutomo is still fighting really hard in the west, I'm worried about him. He's taking on the brunt of the enemy forces and he doesn't have many men with him..." Naotora said concerned.

"Don't worry, Lady Naotora. My brothers promised they would save him, and they always keep their promises. There's no way they will fail when someone needs help," Hayakawa said confidently, easing Naotora's worries as the two women smiled and nodded.

O-O

In the center of the battlefield, the Hōjō brothers continued to fight bravely as the Takeda ranks continued to increase by the minute. Infusing his spear with a large mass of flames, Ren prepared himself as a large wave of bright red clad soldiers advanced towards him. Swinging his spear towards them, the flames fired towards the men in the shape of crescent. Proving too fast for them dodge, they were fully blown away by the force of flames as they dispersed with immense force, launching the men into the air and causing to land onto the ground in loud thuds. Just as they were defeated, they were quickly replaced by double the number of men as before.

Tapping Tatsu with his feet, Ren rushed towards the new enemies at a blinding speed. Charging through the horde of soldiers, he continuously lunged his spear at his foes while narrowly avoiding their blades. After cutting his way to the center of the group, he charged his spear with a powerful flame, as the Takeda soldiers moved towards his from all sides. With a single slash, he created a ring of fire that continued to expand away from him. The ring of fire passed through each soldier, eventually blowing away every last enemy before dispersing rapidly. Letting out a deep breath, he lowered his weapon as he saw that most of his foes had been defeated. He tensed up as soon as he heard the sound of countless hooves hitting the ground draw closer to his position. Soon he saw countless more cavalrymen racing towards their position from multiple directions. Just as he prepared himself for the upcoming fight, Ujiteru lifted his sword in front of him.

"Brother, we'll deal with these guys. You go save Master Yasutomo," Ujiteru said as he and his men formed a defensive line.

"Are you sure? The enemy force is massive, I can't just leave you all to deal with this yourselves," Ren said, concerned.

"Who do you think you're talking to? I'm the older one here, I can't keep letting my younger sibling handle everything. Besides, Master Yasutomo has been fighting against these odds so long before we got here. I can't afford to let his efforts go to waste. I'll show these Takeda bastards what the second son of the Lion can do!" Ujiteru said confidently as all of his men smiled and roared out in excitement. Smiling at his brother's determination, he nodded as he and Tatsu turned towards the direction of the castle.

"Alright Brother, I'll leave things here to you. Don't worry I'll be back soon. Show them what we Hōjō can do," Ren said, before racing towards the castle. Smiling Ujiteru raised his sword as all of his men awaited his orders with anticipation.

"Alright everyone! Let's do what we do best! Let's go!" Ujiteru shouted, as his men roared out with him. Undeterred by the massive Takeda force, they fearlessly stood their ground as both sides came to fierce clash.

(Sunpu Manor West Gate, Suruga)

"Ha...Ha...Is that all you Takeda devils got?"

Tightly gripping his Destiny spear, Yasutomo stood unbowed before the horde of Takeda soldiers that had surrounded him. With many drops of sweat falling down his face, the green and purple clad warrior was nearing his limit after fighting for so long. Around him were countless slain Takeda soldiers who littered the ground. The sight of the fierce Imagawa warrior served to hinder the confidence of the Takeda, who were wary of the man as they tried to maintain their distance.

"You have fought well, warrior, however surely you see the futility of this continued struggle," a low and calm voice said from behind the Takeda soldiers. The men stood aside to clear the path for the man, who walked closer to Yasutomo. Getting a full view of the man, Yasutomo saw a middle aged man donning red and black armor. A notable feature was his long split colored hair, being black on he left and white on the right, which was partly covered by a red hat with a gold pronged ornament on the left side. On his shoulder plate as well as on his cloth hanging from his waste was a symbol resembling six golden coins. Hanging from his poleaxe was a red banner which held the same symbol.

"Futile, huh? Futile or not, I have a duty to my Lord and clan. I refuse to turn my back on those who need me, and this clan needs now more than ever. I am the sturdy spear of the Imagawa, no matter what, I will not bend nor break until I have secured my Lord's safety!" Yasutomo exclaimed, pointing his spear at the dual haired man.

"The spear of the Imagawa indeed, I see the rumors of your unbending loyalty and great might are true. It is such a pity that even with retainers as fine as you, the Imagawa has ended up in such a state," the man said with true sympathy in his voice. Hardening his resolve, he brandished his weapon and his men followed suit.

"No matter how great a spear you may be, without a worthy master to wield you, you are nothing more than a decoration," he said as he motioned for his men to charge. Bracing himself, the Imagawa warrior prepared to take on the impending attack despite the massive fatigue he felt. Just as he raised his spear to meet the first attack, an object quickly hit the ground in front of him, creating a large pillar of flames that divided the two sides. The Takeda troops at the front were unfortunate enough to be caught by the flames, and instantly killed while the others quickly backed away. After the flames dissipated, Yasutomo saw a familiar short spear at the center of what was once at the center of the flames. Turning his attention to the front of him, he saw some kind of commotion going on behind the mob of Takeda forces.

"Someone, stop him!"

"Argh! He's too fast!"

Hearing the struggling going on behind his forces, the Takeda commander narrowed his eyes as he saw a figure riding atop an armored orange horse charging through his men. Jumping up into the air, the shadow of the horse hovered over man as everyone looked on in shock. Yasutomo couldn't believe his eyes, as the figure landed directly in front of him.

"Lord Ren?" Yasutomo asked he began to fee his fatigue get the better of him. Gripping on to his spear and pulling it from the ground, the young warrior smiled reassuring at the tired man.

"Forgive me for being so late, Master Yasutomo. Don't worry, I'll handle this, so please go into the castle and get some rest," Ren said. The older man let out a deep breath as his men rushed over to help him.

"Don't worry about me, My Lord... I just need a little break and I'll be better than you know it," Yasutomo said as he fell to his knee in exhaustion. His few remaining soldiers quickly rushed to his side to help him, but he waved them off. Looking at them, Ren told them to look after the man to which they nodded. Turning his attention back to the enemy in front of him, Ren couldn't help but get a strange feeling from the black and white haired man in front. Seeing the small Hōjō mark on Ren's chest plate, the man realized what was going on.

"So the Hōjō are here, I see now why our forces were suddenly in disarray. Seeing your skill and young appearance, I assume you're the one they call the Dragon of Kanto?" He asked as he narrowed his eyes at the young man.

"I suppose that's what people call me, but the name's Ren. I'm guessing you're the one in command here?" Ren asked.

"It's Masayuki Sanada. My Lord entrusted me with command of this battle, and I'll do whatever it takes to claim victory. Seeing as how you're here. I assume the Hōjō intend to break their alliance with us?" Masayuki asked.

"Hm, you Takeda broke our alliance when you decided to attack the Imagawa. We're simply honoring our alliance by helping them," Ren replied.

"Is that right? What benefit is there in making an enemy of us just to save the weak and finished Imagawa?" Masayuki asked, wary of Ren's movements.

"Just like you, we have something to fight for too. It just happens our motivations are different. The Imagawa is my mother's family so they are our family too. We won't simply turn our back on them just because things are looking grim for them. No matter what, we refuse to let them die like this" Ren said, brandishing his spear. Masayuki lips formed into a small and nearly unnoticeable smile.

"Is that right? I suppose I can respect that, however even so, for my Lord, I will end both you and the Imagawa," Masayuki said coldly as he and his unit charged towards Ren. Wasting no time, Ren sallied forth into the enemy ranks. Powering up his flames, Ren fired a straight shot, effectively piercing and clearing out a straight line of Takeda soldiers. It eventually broke through their ranks and reached Masayuki, who used his blade to block the attack. Although successful in minimizing the damage done to him, he was still pushed back several meters by the force of the attack.

The remaining Takeda soldiers quickly moved to cover the path created from the blast as they rushed to meet Ren's charge. Thrusting their spears at the young man, they began a relentless assault. Ren skillfully parried each attack and cut them all done before they had the chance to react. Four more men attempted to use their spears to stab the Storm Runner while three more jumped into the air to attack it's rider. Angrily narrowing it's eyes, Tatsu raised it's body into the air, causing all of the Takeda spears to miss their mark. Using the new elevation, Ren was able to reach the Takeda soldiers in the air, and slashed them across the chest, causing droplets of blood to fly into the air as they were sent to the ground. The remaining Takeda soldiers panicked as they saw the shadow of Tatsu hovering over them as it slammed it's legs onto them, crushing them instantly with it's hooves.

Yasutomo watched in awe as the young warrior continued to hack his way through the mob of Takeda forces. He couldn't believe how determined Ren looked as he continued to fight against such odds, and for a clan other than his own no less. Smiling, the older man slowly stood back up.

"General, you should rest more. You must still be exhausted from earlier," one of his men said, worried. Yasutomo held his hand up to the man and tightly gripped his spear.

"I've rested for more than enough now. We can't just stand by and watch as our allies fight for us like this. How can we ever face Lord Yoshimoto if we can't even defend a single castle?" Yasutomo asked. Slowly he saw a fire reignite in the eyes of his few remaining men.

"This is no time to be sitting idly by. Let's show these Takeda devils that even without Lord Yoshimoto, we still have plenty of fight left in us!" Yasutomo exclaimed, raising his Destiny spear into the air. Roaring out in response to his battle cry, his unit followed behind him as they all charged towards the crowd Ren was fighting. Yasutomo powered up his Musou as his spear became enveloped in a purple electrical current. He slashed his spear into the air, creating two purple waves of electrical Musou. The waves quickly cut through two lines of soldiers before they had anytime to react. Ren was surprised by the sudden attack, as he suddenly noticed the remaining Imagawa men fighting by his side.

"Lord Ren, allow me to assist you. I can't have you do everything now, can I?" Yasutomo said as he stood bellow Ren with his spear ready.

"I appreciate it, It's very reassuring to have you by my side," Ren said, smiling at the man. Nodding, the two continued to fight against the Takeda, with many beginning to become fearful of the combined strength of the two. Masayuki watched the scene unfold from the back with a careful and calculating stare. He saw his forces being cut down one after another as the Imagawa were suddenly filled with newfound spirit.

"Hm... I suppose we underestimated how much fight the Imagawa still had left," Masayuki said rubbing his chin.

"Sir, should we call for reinforcements?" a soldier asked. Masayuki shook his head.

"No, I'm sure the Hōjō still haven't revealed all of their cards just yet. We can't afford to spread out our forces anymore than we already have. For now let's fall back and rethink our approach to this," Masayuki ordered as his soldier nodded and gave the command to his men. Just as Ren and Yasutomo cut down several more enemies, the remaining Takeda began to flee. In the distance they saw Masayuki ahead of the group, on his mount as they moved further away.

"Looks like we were able to defend the castle for now..." Yasutomo said, letting out a deep breath.

"They won't be gone for long, once they've gain a better grasp on the situation, they'll be back. I'm particularly worried about that Masayuki, I can tell he's dangerous," Ren said warily.

"Yes, you're right. He's certainly someone to watch out for. He may very well be just as formidable as Shingen. We need to figure out a plan and quick," Yasutomo said.

"I already have a plan in place, but it's down to us to make it succeed. It involves your former allies that just defected actually," Ren explained, as Yasutomo raised a brow.

"Those cowards? How are they going to be any help, even if they hadn't betrayed us, they still wouldn't be able to change anything. As we speak they are probably groveling and making merry in the Takeda's northern camp," Yasutomo said frustratingly of his former comrades.

"It's exactly because they are such cowards that we'll able to make us of them. I'll explain everything later, for now we need to help my brother. He's brave, but even he won't last much longer in these odds," Ren said, concerned.

"Very well then. Let's go before it's too late, but are you sure it's safe for all of us to leave the castle?" Yasutomo asked, mounting his horse.

"Don't worry. Father and everyone else have got it covered. For now, let's focus on turning this battle around," Ren said. Yasutomo nodded as they all rode off quickly outside. They advanced without stop until they reached the center of the battlefield where Ujiteru and his men were beginning to be overwhelmed by the massive Takeda horde. Ujiteru cut down several men with his long sword then pulled his rifle from his back to shoot another Takeda soldier who was about to stab one of his men from behind. The second eldest Hōjō sibling turned around when he heard some kind of commotion coming from the Takeda forces. His face lit up upon seeing his brother rushing over to him.

"Brother! We're here to help!" Ren shouted out as he began cutting his way through multiple Takeda men to reach his brother.

"Ah good timing, and I see you've got Master Yasutomo with you too," Ujiteru said, noticing the small unit of men that Ren brought with him.

"Yes, it's good to finally meet you, Lord Ujiteru. I'm grateful for all of your assistance," Yasutomo said respectfully as he bowed from his horse.

"How's everything been looking so far, Brother?" Ren asked as he looked at the fighting around them.

"Not too good. No matter how many we take out, they just keep on coming from every direction. Not only that, but we have no cover out here. At this rate, we'll be completely overwhelmed," Ujiteru said, firing off another round of bullets which knocked over several cavalrymen.

"Hm, we need to find a way to keep the enemy at bay and restrict their movements somehow... Out here we're just sitting ducks for their cavalry," Ren said as he surveyed the area around them, only seeing flat lands in sight.

"The central garrison is located to the west of here. It's the choke point to where their camp is located. If we take it back, perhaps we can use it to hold the enemy off until we can find an opportunity to strike back," Yasutomo suggested, as he thrusted his spear into the chest of another enemy.

"Very well then. You know the layout of this area much better than we do. We'll move out as soon as we handle the situation here," Ren said before charging into another group of Takeda soldiers. Nodding, Ujiteru and Yasutomo both followed after him with their weapons ready. Forming his flames, Ren created a burning twister around him, blowing away all of the enemies around him. As more troops ran up to him, Ren continued to block and counter the incoming barrage of spears. With one swift slash, he cut through another multitude of soldiers while Tatsu charged and trampled the rest. Over with Yasutomo, the man charged a large amount of purple lightning through his spear as a large number of men began to surround him. He thrusted his spear multiple times at his incoming attackers, effortlessly piercing through four of them before turning his attention to the rest. Just before they reached him, he plunged his spear into the ground, causing an electrical current to instantly shock everyone around him. After the attack ended, all of the men had smoked coming from their bodies as they fell one after the other. With the brunt of the Takeda forces in the area defeated, the remaining soldier began to withdraw once Ujiteru rallied his men.

"Everyone fall back! We'll attack once we regroup with reinforcements!" a Takeda commander ordered as all of the remaining men began fleeing to the west. Ren cut down several more soldiers as they continued to flee, but stopped once they were too far away from his group.

"They're likely going to the central garrison. We need to act now before they have the chance to attack again," Yasutomo insisted, as Ren nodded.

"Right, everyone let's go! We can't afford to waste any time," Ren ordered as Ujiteru and Yasutomo nodded in agreement before setting off towards the west.

(Central Garrison, Suruga)

There was massive amount of movement in the garrison as countless red-clad soldiers rushed in every direction. Some rushed towards a long line of horses that stood ready for battle, while others loaded supplies in different directions. There were also some who had just returned from battle that needed rest or medical attention. In the center of the base was the Takeda general, Masanobu Kōsaka, who had a stern look on his face as he oversaw the movements of his men.

"Hurry up and get ready! I need the next unit to head out, don't give the Imagawa any chance to breath. The sooner we capture the castle, the better!" Masanobu ordered, as his men began to speed up their preparations. Soon he saw the gate slowly open, as a tired and exhausted looking unit entered. The door soon closed behind them after they all returned. Masanobu rushed over and was surprised to see the state of his men.

"General, please forgive us. We couldn't break through their defensive line," the Takeda captain said weakly, as the rest of his men proceeded to move further into the garrison to rest.

"We still can't break through? Even if it is the Hōjō, their numbers are few. They can't be giving us this much trouble," Masanobu said, shocked.

"Well it seemed like we were going to overrun them, but then suddenly they received backup from the castle. Both Hōjō and Imagawa forces were too much, we couldn't break through..." the captain said, regrettably.

"From the castle? Just what is Masayuki doing? Fine, their numbers are few and their men are surely exhausted by now. If we maintain the pressure on them then we should be fine. Hurry up and hea-"

He had no time to complete his sentence as suddenly a massive explosion occurred from the gate in front of him, knocking aside all of the guards there. From the smoke, a large column of flames in the shape of a dragon flew over Masanobu's head where majority of the men in the garrison were stationed. The dragon crashed into the ground, creating a massive explosion which instantly took out all of the men there. Soon the flames spread over to the location where they kept their supplies and equipment, as well as to the location of their horses. The supplies instantly were set alight as the men tried to put out the flames. The horses became erratic and spooked by the sudden wave of heat, and began to go out of control.

Masanobu was about to go and assist his men when suddenly he saw multiple figures appear from the now-destroyed gate. He saw many soldiers from both the Imagawa and the Hōjō charging through the gate. Ren who was leading them had Storm Runner jump up into the air. As he hovered over Masanobu, he thrusted his spear downward to the general below him. Reacting just in time, Masanobu drew his sword and narrowly prevented the spear from reaching his head. After Ren landed behind him, he had little time to rest as soon he had to block another incoming attack from Yasutomo. As he struggled in a blade lock against the Imagawa warrior, he saw his disoriented men beginning to be overwhelmed by their attackers. Ordinarily they would have the advantage in numbers, but due to the shock from the previous attack, the Takeda found themselves unable to fight back effectively.

Pushing Yasutomo back, Masanobu readied to head for his men. Just as he turned around, he caught a glimpse of something from the corner of his eye. It was Ujiteru, who pointed his rifle at the general while mounted on his horse. Before he was able to raise his sword to defend himself, Ujiteru fired a shot at the man. The bullet pierced his arm, instantly making him gasp in pain as he dropped his sword.

As he tightly gripped his now bleeding arm, he saw Yasutomo charge towards him with his spear ready. Unable to pick up his sword, Masanobu was prepared to resign to his fate, as he closed his eyes. Yasutomo thrusted his spear at the man, however just before it hit it's mark, five Takeda soldiers simultaneously stopped the attack using their own spears.

"General, you must retreat! We'll hold them off," one soldier said as he struggled to hold off Yasutomo.

"No, I refuse to-" Masanobu was cut short when several of his men began to drag him away from the fighting against his will. Yasutomo quickly dispatched the men holding him off and tried to chase after Yasutomo, but was met by a barrage of arrows. Deflecting the storm of arrows, he saw a line of archers close to the eastern gate. Unable to press forward due to the barrage, he was forced to watch as Masanobu and the others mounted and evacuated from the garrison. After everyone had successfully escaped, the archers ceased their attack and escaped after them.

"Forgive me, I wasn't able to finish off that man," Yasutomo said apologetically as Ren and Ujiteru approached him.

"It's fine, Master Yasutomo. We've already captured the garrison, so it's fine either way. Besides, with that wound, he likely won't be able to rejoin the battle any time soon," Ren said. Closing his hand, the flames around the base that had been created from his earlier attack instantly burned out.

"Alright, everyone set up your defenses here. The Takeda won't stop their attack so easily. It's only a matter of time before they come again," Ren ordered, as all of his men nodded and began setting up around the base.

"We now have a place to fend off the enemy, but will this be enough?" Yasutomo asked.

"No, it's not. This is only the first step. Our job now is to defend this place with all we've got. The rest is up to Master Tsunashige and the others," Ren said, motioning to a messenger, who bowed before moving to carry out his mission.

"Are you sure this plan will work?" Yasutomo asked Ujiteru, who smiled back at the man.

"I may not be as smart as Ren or Father when it comes to things like strategy, but I know he can be trusted. My brother hasn't steered us wrong yet, and I know he will always make the right choice. I promise you, he won't ever let us down," Ujiteru said confidently. Yasutomo looked over to Ren, who was giving his men their various tasks. He saw the confident and determined look on the young warrior, as well as the trust his men had in him. The older man couldn't help but smile at the sight.

"Yes, I believe you're right".

(Northern Suruga Camp, Suruga)

On top of a tall cliff was Tsunashige and his men, who were carefully surveying the are below. Just below them was a large camp filled with many Takeda soldiers and banners. The veteran also took note of the number of green and purple-clad men there as well.

"Damn, those cowards really did defect after all," Kai said, annoyed.

"Yes, this could prove to be trouble. The Takeda themselves are already a nuisance enough on their own, but now with the extra muscle, we'll have an even harder time," Tsunashige said, taking note of the large number of men located there.

"Argh! Why did Lord Ren tell us to wait here?! Against those numbers, we probably can't do much, shouldn't we be helping out in the front lines with him instead?" Kai yelled out, only to be shushed by Tsunashige.

"I understand your frustration, My Lady, but we should trust the young master for now. Our Lord entrusted command to him because he knows of the young master's abilities. You should know that better than anyone," Tsunashige said, earning him a pout from the girl.

"I know, but still..." Kai muttered.

"Don't worry, I'm sure we'll have a chance soon enough. After all, brother did say we were the key to his plan," Ujikuni said, trying to reassure her. As if on cue, the messenger from Ren appeared from the forest behind them and ran up to Tsunashige.

"My Lord, a message from Lord Ren. He asks for you to attack the northern camp, but do not infiltrate it. Try and make as much of commotion as you can, and don't capture the base until you feel the time is right," The messenger reported, much to the confusion of Kai and the others.

"Wait... What?! Attack but don't capture the base? We couldn't capture it even if we wanted to! What is Lord Ren thinking?!" Kai yelled out frustratingly.

"Make as much commotion as possible... and move when the time is right... oh! I see now, Young Master, you sly dog," Tsunashige said with a light laugh.

"What? Did you figure out something, Lord Tsunashige?" Ujiteru asked, trying to calm down Kai.

"Yes, yes. I see what he's planning, however we can't make a move just yet. Attacking right now would be foolish. We need a slight opening before attacking," Tsunashige said, remounting his horse. Looking over, he saw some kind of commotion coming from the men who were looking over the cliff.

"Lord Tsunashige! There appears to be some kind of panic going on in the enemy camp," one of the men yelled. Raising a brow, he quickly went over to investigate. When he looked down, he indeed saw the Takeda men panicking and confused.

"What's going on? They were completely diligent and ready to move just moments ago," Tsunashige said, rubbing his chin.

"It's likely they just received news about the capture of the central garrison. That's probably rattled their forces," The messenger suggested.

"Hmm... I see. I get what you're thinking, Young Master. Alright! Now's the times to make our move. Everyone follow me!" Tsunashige roared out heartily as he began charging down before his men had time to react.

"H-Hey! Wait for us, my lord!" Kai yelled out, as she and the others scurried to mount her horse and rush after him.

Inside the base, the Takeda forces were shaken by the news of the Hōjō and Imagawa resistance. In the commander's tent inside the base were Shingen's son, Katsuyori, as well as his generals Masakage Yamagata and Naiki Takanashi Seated next to them were the Imagawa traitors, Ujimoto Katsurayama and Yoshiakira Miura.

"Hm, the Hōjō are certainly more persistent than I thought. To think they were able to turn the tables on Masanobu like that..." Masakage said.

"Yes this could be trouble, but I'm still worried about Masayuki," Katsuyori said, concerned for his friend.

"Don't worry, My Lord. Masayuki is fine. He likely only retreated when he knew it was the best option. We should have faith," Masakage said, reassuring the brown haired youth.

"Yes, I'm sure you're right. For now, we need to think about what we should do about the Hōjō," Katsuyori said, looking around for suggestions from his men.

"I'm sure our Lord will be sending more men to retake the garrison. I say we should mobilize our units here and launch a two pronged assault on the base together with our main unit. It's clear the Hōjō and Imagawa's strongest men are there so if we can defeat them, the castle should fall with ease," Masakage suggested as everyone in the tent nodded in agreement. Just as they stood up to exit the tent, a Takeda soldier rushed in with a panic look on his face.

"My lord! We have trouble! We are under attack from the Hōjō! The enemy is led by Tsunashige Hōjō!" the man said. Hearing this news, everyone began to get nervous as they talked amongst themselves.

"Are you sure it's Tsunashige? Also how many men are there?" Masakage asked.

"We have no doubt it's him. Their commander is an elderly man dressed in yellow and purple armor. His horse also carries a banner with the character of Hachiman on it. They only have several hundred men, but they've already dispatched our guards outside. Our remaining men have been stricken with fear, and are too afraid to go out to face him," the guard reported.

"Damn, it must be him then. This could trouble, we already have problem to deal with in the west, this is not the time for this," Masakage said, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"W-What should we do? There's no way we can fight someone like that," Ujimoto said, panicked.

"Don't worry, regardless of how strong they are, we have the advantage here. Defeating him will ensure our victory here. My Lord and I will go and face Tsunashige. Everyone else stay here in case of a surprise attack," Masakage suggested.

Katsuyori nodded and grabbed hold of his spear as he said, "Right, if we can defeat a renown warrior like that then Father will surely be proud of us. Let's go, I'll be right behind you, Master Masakage". The older man nodded before they rushed to prepare to attack. Ujimoto and Yoshiakira were left with great uncertainty as they watched the two leave.

"When I agreed to defect, I thought it was because the Takeda's victory was certain... did we make a mistake?" Yoshiakira asked.

"I don't know... It's true that the Takeda still have the overwhelming advantage, but against foes like the Lion of Sagami, The Dragon of Kanto, and the Warrior in Yellow, not to mention Master Yasutomo as well... For now let's just observe and see..." Ujimoto said, with uncertainty in his voice.

Outside the garrison, the Hōjō were hurtling various insults to the men inside. Tsunashige, Kai, and Ujiteru stood at the front, awaiting for their enemies to come out. Beneath them were the bodies of countless Takeda guards, who they dispatched effortlessly moments earlier.

"Come on, you cowards! The Warrior in Yellow is here, don't you want to kill me and gain glory and fame? If you won't fight, then come out and offer your heads to me!" Tsunashige shouted mockingly, as he pointed his rune spear towards the guards who stood at the top of the base. They looked at each other nervously as they continued to take his verbal abuse.

"Shah! What's taking so long? If you guys are that scared then go on home already?! And to those traitors in there, you better hope I don't get my hands on you!" Kai yelled out ferociously, scaring even a few of her men behind her.

"Master Tsunashige, we've been at this for a while now, are you sure they'll come out?" Ujiteru asked.

"Well I'll admit, they are certainly are taking their time. Either way even if they don't come out, at the very least that should keep them from joining the battle. I would prefer it if they did come out though," Tsunashige said, as the two looked on at Kai and the others continuing to taunt the Takeda. Soon their efforts were rewarded as they noticed the gate beginning to open. A smile formed on Tsunashige's face as he watched numerous red-clad cavalry begin to flood out from the base.

"Alright everyone, get ready to give it everything you've got!" Tsunashige said excitedly. Everyone roared out in agreement as they charged to meet the incoming attack. Kai and Ujiteru each charged to different sides with their men while Tsunashige rushed through the center. Charging his lightning through his rune spear, the veteran easily cut down every soldier that crossed his path. After breaking through several lines of men, the Takeda began to become intimidated by the yellow-clad warrior as he continued to cut deeper into their ranks.

"Someone stop him! He's too strong!'

"I-It's really him, It's the Warrior in Yellow!"

"There's also a terrifying woman over here too! It's like fighting a wild beast!

Tsunashige took advantage of the enemy's panic as he continued to slay soldier after soldier. He raised his spear to strike down another one, as they flinched in fear. Just as he thrusted his spear forward, it was deflected by swing of someone's sword. Looking over he saw a familiar red clad warrior with a fierce and ready expression on his face.

"Yamagata, huh? It's certainly been a while. Finally an opponent worth fighting. Defeating you here will certainly make me even more famous, I certainly can't afford to fall behind these youngsters now," Tsunashige said with hearty tone.

"You're still as troublesome to fight as ever. I refuse to allow you to stand in my lord's path any further. Prepare yourself, I fully intend to bring home a yellow trophy for my lord today," Masakage said, brandishing his sword at the man. The two experienced warriors then charged towards each other in what would be a fierce clash.

Inside the garrison, the remaining soldiers all were on edge at the sound of the fierce battle occurring outside. They continued to carefully eye the gate in fear of the possibility of Hōjō soldiers rushing in. The ones who were most on edge were the Imagawa men who had defected. The two generals in charge were restless as they continuously sent out scouts to check the status of the battle.

"How is the battle going proceeding?" Ujimoto asked the scout.

"So far, the Hōjō-Imagawa forces are putting up a tough resistance. The next wave of Takeda forces led by Masatoyo Naitō, Nobufusa Baba, and Nobutomo Akiyama have begun their attack on the Central Garrison, but so far they are having a hard time gaining any ground. Meanwhile the general Yamagata's unit is also having a hard time against Tsunashige. They are proving to be much stronger than initially thought," the scout reported before being dismissed by the general.

"Argh, things are starting to look grim. Perhaps we did make the wrong decision..." Yoshiakira mumbled nervously.

"Yes... it might be best to side with the Imagawa after all..." Ujimoto contemplated. Just as the two were in the middle of their thoughts, they felt hands on their shoulders and jumped up in shock. Looking behind them, they saw Masayuki's retainer, Naiki Takanashi, giving them a big smile.

"Ah, what's with the surprised faces, generals? Lord Masayuki sent me here to give you some support. Let us battle against Tsunashige together, shall we?" the general asked heartily with a bright smile.

"U-Uh yes... Yes, of course..." Ujimoto replied nervously as the two Imagawa generals traded uncertain looks.

(Central Garrison, Suruga)

"Don't give in! Push them back with everything you've got!" Yasutomo roared out. The general was currently standing atop the once quiet garrison, which had now been turned into a violent battleground. Outside the garrison was a massive wave of red-clad warriors, who were attacking with all of their might. In the front were cavalrymen, who were fighting fiercely to try and pry open the gate to the garrison, while in the back a long array of archers were raining down arrows upon the garrison.

"General, we can't hold them off much longer! They'll break through at any moment!" a soldier reported. Yasutomo frowned as he walked over to the ledge. He saw the men desperately trying to hold onto the gate. He saw the wood begin to bend and rumble as the soldiers outside were relentlessly attacking. He then looked over and nodded to Ujiteru, who motioned for several dozens of men to line the top of the garrison. Each had a rifle and carefully knelt down to take aim. As another volley of arrows began to home in on them, Yasutomo and Ujiteru swiftly pulled out their weapons and began deflecting the arrows at a rapid speed. As soon as they sliced the last remaining arrows, the riflemen signaled to the generals that their preparations were complete.

"Alright, ready... aim... fire!" Ujiteru ordered.

Each riflemen carefully aimed their rifles to the men below them. As soon as they locked onto their targets, they all simultaneously pulled their triggers. In a single moment, a loud bang echoed throughout the battlefield which could be heard even through the countless voices and sounds of battle in the area. In an instant, all of the men lined up below them were immediately felled by the shots, as more men from behind moved to replace them. The riflemen quickly moved to prepare their next shots. Seeing their opportunity, the Takeda began to rally even further. With one mighty push, they forced open the gate, wood cracking and breaking as they forced their way in, effectivley sending the men, who were holding the door, straight to the ground. Before they could get up, Takeda spears began to descend upon them. Shutting their eyes in fear, they resigned to their fates before they heard cries of pain coming from the enemy. Opening their eyes, they saw Ren, who had just dispatched the Takeda enemies.

"Are you alright? You should go back and rest, I'll handle the enemy here," Ren ordered as he turned his attention to the incoming horde of enemies that threatened to flood into the garrison. Seeing their general ready to fight alone, they all clenched their weapons and stood firmly behind him.

"No way, we have your back, My Lord!" one of them exclaimed, as the others nodded in agreement. Smiling at their determination, he thanked them before charging into the enemy in front of him. Seeing the fighting going on below him, Yasutomo made his decision and tightly gripped his spear, as he walked to the ledge.

"Master Ujiteru, I'll leave things up here to you. I'll go and handle the enemy below," Yasutomo said as he jumped down into the garrison. Landing with a loud thud, he quickly rushed over to Ren and his men, who were in the midst of a ferocious battle to keep the enemy from entering the base. Surrounded by enemies, Ren created a waved of flames around him, easily burning through his foes. Just as he thought he had a moment to rest, even more Takeda troops took their place. Just then a stream of purple lightning struck the crowd of enemies behind him, taking them out in an instant. He turned around to see Yasutomo racing to his side. Having their backs to each other, they turned their attention to mounting number of Takeda men, who continued to surround them.

"My Lord, allow me to have your back" Yasutomo stated, brandishing his Destiny spear against the foes in front of him.

"I know I can count on you, Master Yasutomo. It's really reassuring to have you with me," Ren said confidently. The Takeda men all roared out as they charged at the pair. The two wielded their spears completely in sync, as they each cut down the enemies in front of them. Each skillfully blocked and countered every attack that came their way, causing countless droplets of blood to shower the field around them. After their most immediate enemies were taken care of, both warriors charged their respective elements into their spears, as more began to rush towards them. At the exact same time, both warriors launched their attacks with their elements flying through the area around them. The Takeda troops didn't even have time to shout out in surprise, as they were suddenly overwhelmed by a combination of purple lighting and red-hot flames. The force of the attack created a powerful shockwave which shook the entire base to it's core. Once the dust settled, the two noticed even more enemies coming towards them from the distance.

"We can't keep this up for long. There's simply too many of them," Yasutomo said, gritting his teeth.

"We just need to hold on a little longer. If I'm right, then we should be getting some aid momentarily both here and to the north," Ren said, flicking the blood from his blade and armor.

"Let's hope you're right, for now let's give it everything we've got. Rah!" Yasutomo exclaimed as he charged towards the incoming Takeda forces. Seeing the older man's spirit, Ren followed suit and rushed forward beside the man. The two continued to fight fiercely, making even the mighty Takeda start to feel intimidated. Several yards away from the main battle zone were the Takeda generals in charge.

"What is going on? We've already infiltrated the base, but we still aren't gaining any ground?" Masatoyo Naito scowled as he watched the battle unfold before him.

"There are apparently two powerful warriors giving us trouble. We might need to send in even more men, or perhaps request some more from the Main Camp," Nobufusa suggested.

"Sooner or later, we'll break through. I'm more worried about our supplies though. They should've arrived long ago, and we are beginning to run out... Where are they at such a crucial time?" Nobutomo angrily said, noticing his men begin to get sluggish.

"Hmm, you're right. They were suppose to be here a while ago, we won't be able to keep up this level attack much longer without supplies. Perhaps we should deploy and end this quickly" Masatoyo suggested. As the generals pondered their options, no one was able to notice the arrival of another unit behind their forces. Just beyond the Takeda unit, a large force with Hōjō banners flying with them arrived on the scene. In front of them was Ujimasa and Ujinori.

"Whew, we finally made it, Father's not going to be happy we took so long," Ujimasa said, letting out a sigh.

"Yeah, you're right... Hey, is that..." Ujinori said, noticing the battlefield in front of them. They saw the Central Garrison which flew Hōjō and Imagawa banners above it, although it was most obscured by a large amount of smoke. They saw countless soldiers mobilizing around the base with loud shouting being echoed through the distance.

"It looks like our forces are struggling over there, and it appears the enemy hasn't noticed yet," Ujinori said, carefully eyeing the battlefield.

"Damn it, we are so late, but this is our chance to make up for it," Ujimasa said, grabbing his spear form his back.

"Alright everyone, Let's help out our allies. Advance, and catch the Takeda between us!" Ujimasa ordered as he charged forward. Everyone cried out in agreement as they charged with haste towards the oblivious Takeda army.

(Northern Suruga Camp, Suruga)

Inside the base, the two Imagawa generals sat impatiently with their men, as they continued to monitor the battlefield. Several meters away, they noticed Naiki constantly keeping an eye on them. Gritting his teeth, Ujimoto turned his attention back to another report from a scout.

"Another Hōjō unit?" Ujimoto asked. The messenger hesitantly nodded.

"Yes, it's led by Ujiyasu's eldest son, Ujimasa. They completely caught General Naito and General Baba off guard. The men in the Central Garrison then rallied and are dealing heavy damage to the Takeda with their pincer attack. Also, it appears something happened to the supply unit, so our army's morale has plummeted..." the scout stated grimly.

"At this rate... we may end up getting getting killed too. Especially with Tsunashige Hōjō just outside..." Yoshiakira muttered, as he held his shaking hands together.

"Damn it! It's clear where this battle is going, I've made my decision!" Ujimoto exclaimed, as he unsheathed his sword. Seeing the general's reaction, all of the Imagawa men stood up, preparing to follow their general's orders. Naiki and other Takeda men eyed them suspiciously as they reached for their weapons. The sound of everyone drawing their weapons instantly put everyone in the base on alert.

"Everyone, it's clear what we have to do! We'll take back this base and fight for the Imagawa, Follow me!" Ujimoto ordered. All of the Imagawa warriors roared in agreement as they began to attack their former allies. Most of the Takeda had been caught off-guard aside from Naiki and men around him. Naiki scowled as he grabbed his spear and charged towards the traitors. Quickly finding the two generals, he thrusted his spear towards the traitors to which both blocked at the same time.

"Lord Masayuki was right after all. You traitorous cowards won't get away with this!" The Sanada retainer shouted angrily as he began exchanging blows with the two men. The area around them quickly turned chaotic by this turn of events as former allies turned on each other. It quickly escalated into an even fiercer battle than the one just outside the base, where the Takeda began to lose their momentum against Tsunashige's unit. One example of this was the battle between Tsunashige and Masakage, which was reaching it's end.

The two generals were in the midst of high speed clash with sparks flying with every contact between their weapons. During one attack where both general's weapons were pushed upward, Tsunashige saw his chance to strike and with lightning infused thrust, he aimed straight for Masakage's neck. The Takeda general tried to block the incoming attack, however, the yellow-clad general proved to be too quick. Masakage was only able to block the attack with the hilt of his sword, which was not enough to sufficiently defend himself. The lightning from Tsunashige's spear released against his hilt and the force knocked the Takeda general from his horse onto the ground with a thud from his armor. Seeing his opportunity, Tsunashige dashed towards the Takeda general from atop his horse and swung his spear downward. Masakage, having still not recovered from the previous attack, did not see the attack until it was a few inches away, giving him no time to raise his sword. Just before Tsunashige's spear reached the general, another spear appeared and stopped Tsunashige's attack. Both general's looked over to see Katsuyori, who was struggling to hold off Tsunashige's attack.

"Young Master! What are you doing? This is far too dangerous!" Masakage asked, slowly getting back onto his feet.

"That doesn't matter! If I were to let you die here, then I could never face Father again nor would deserve to succeed one day!" Katsuyori shouted as he knocked Tsunashige's spear into the air and lunged forward to which Tsunashige pulled back to evade the strike.

"Heh, not bad, tiger cub. I see Shingen's got a fearsome son, but don't think I'll lose to some greenhorn so easily," Tsunashige proudly stated as he prepared to face the Takeda successor. Just before they could begin their battle, all three men noticed something happening from within the garrison. Naiki rode outside followed by several of his men with concerned looks on their faces.

"My Lord! The Imagawa have betrayed us!" The man reported, as Katsuyori and Masakage gasped in shock.

"Those cowards, we have to punish them for this," Katsuyori said angrily. Masakage shook his head as he noticed the situation around them.

"No, Young Master. Our forces are in complete disarray right now. We have enemies both in front and behind us, any advantage we had is now gone. Our best option is to regroup with our lord and rethink our strategy," Masakage suggested, as he remounted his horse.

"What?! We've come too far to just give in, we can still-"

"General Yamagata and I will open the way for you, My Lord. Just go!" Naiki said as he and Masakage began to cut their way through the Hōjō forces to the side. Katsuyori struggled before hesitantly following after his retainers. Tsunashige was about to chase after them, but decided in the end to let them go. After finishing up the enemies on their end, Kai and Ujikuni met up with the old man.

"Master Tsunashige, should we go after them?" Ujikuni asked.

"No, let them go. For now let's focus on dealing with the enemies remaining here and take the camp," Tsunashige said.

"Wait, what happened over there, didn't they have the advantage a while ago? Why do they seem like they are freaking out in there?" Kai asked, seeing some kind of fighting going on inside their camp.

"The young master's plan seems to have succeeded," Tsunashige said.

"Brother's plan? I still don't understand what happened," Ujikuni said, confused.

"He knew that the traitors here were different from the ones who defected earlier in that they are only willing to join the winning side to save their own lives, and did not collude with the Takeda earlier but rather waited to see who they knew for certain would win. He knew that if we could make it seem like the Imagawa still had a chance of winning then they would be more likely to defect back and strike the enemy while they least expect it. He had me use my reputation to scare them while he would work to turn the tide on his end. I have to admit, it worked out pretty well," Tsunashige explained with a hearty laugh.

"Argh! I still don't get it! Whatever, we just have to finish off the Takeda here, right? Then let's go!" Kai yelled out as she advanced into the garrison.

"Haha, well said, my lady! I'm right behind you!" Tsunashige exclaimed, as he and Ujikuni raced after her.

(Takeda Main Camp, Suruga)

"Haha! Not bad Hōjō, not bad at all! " Shingen praised cheerfully, as his general looked on in annoyance.

"My Lord, this is not the time to be praising our enemy. We have to do something quickly," Nobukado Takeda said, carefully examining the map on their table.

"Don't be such a bore, Nobukado. You have to admit, they certainly pulled one over on us. They even got the better of Masayuki and Masakage, that's worth some praise, do you not think?" The Takeda commander asked.

"My Lord, we still have plenty of strength left here. Masayuki's unit has already returned, and Lord Katsuyori and General Yamagata will be back soon. I say once we have everyone together, we storm the enemy. Surely they are at their limits now," Nobushige Oyamada suggested.

"No, we will withdraw to Kai for now," Shingen suddenly ordered.

"What?! My Lord, we can't just leave yet, we still have plenty of man power!" Nobushige said.

"That may be true, but how do you intend to feed them? Surely you've noticed already," Shingen said, eyeing the map carefully.

"What do you mean, My Lord?" Nobushige asked, irritated.

"Haven't you noticed that none of our positions have received any food yet? It's likely that Ujyasu sent out a skilled unit that cut off our supply lines without us noticing. A large army especially needs a constant flow of supplies. With the current amount we have here, we only have just about to return home," Shingen explained, cooling himself off with his iron fan.

"Tch! Damn those Hōjō!" Nobushige cursed.

"Don't be so mad Nobushige. We'll give this battle to the Hōjō for now, but we have already accomplished what we set out to do. The Imagawa are already finished after this battle regardless of what the Hōjō do. We can just come back later and take it with no difficulty. For now prepare our men to return home, we'll all set off once Katsuyori and the others return," Shingen ordered as all of his men stood up and left to make their preparations, leaving Shingen to sit and wait patiently with two guards by his side. Unbeknownst to him and everyone else who was there earler, a figure was carefully eyeing him from behind the banners just behind him. It was Ryuto, who had concealed his presence from all those around him.

Ryuto seeing his chance, silently released the blades from his gauntlet and prepared to move in for the kill. Steeling his resolve, he was ready to slay a tiger.

 **Phew! This chapter turned out a lot longer than I would've liked. Oh well (Shrug). Sorry for the delay, I've been getting demolished by finals and all that, but at least I have a temporary break. Please be patient for the next chapter and I will see you guys later! EpicZL out!**


	12. A Ninja’s Path

**Here we are with chapter 12! You guys know the deal by now. Sit back and enjoy the chapter. Reviews and feedback are appreciated.**

Chapter 12: A Ninja's Path

Each step the ninja took was as silent as the night. Carefully eyeing his target from behind the red banner, Ryuto slowly drew closer and closer. As soon as he walked out from behind the banner, he completely disappeared into thin air. Shingen, who was calmly cooling himself off with his fan, slowly closed his eyes.

"You're pretty good. Not many can creep up this close to me without me noticing," Shingen said. His guards were about to question his comment, but then they felt their vision blurring. They both fell down , their armor clanging as they hit the cold hard ground. Shingen saw a thin but noticeable cut across their necks, as blood began to pool out around them. Without even looking, Shingen knew that Ryuto was standing behind his seat with his back turned to him. The air around them was silent but tense as neither man made a single movement. Without any warning, Ryuto made the first move. Swiping his blade behind him, he aimed for the older man's neck only to be stopped just before it hit. Shingen raised his iron fan to stop the attack without even turning from his seat. Using his other hand, Ryuto aimed his blade to the back to Shingen's head. Before he could attack, a sudden gust of wind blew towards him. The intensity of the winds proved to much, as he was blown all the way back, his back hitting the wall. Opening his eyes, the ninja saw the older man slowly rising from his seat and turning around to face him.

"Sorry, but I can't afford to die before I achieve my goals," Shingen stated brandishing his fan. Glaring at his target, Ryuto slowly took a stance with his gauntlets pointed at the man. He started sprinting towards the man at full speed, his figure barely able to be seen as he became one with the wind. As if predicting his move before he even made it, Shingen had already raised his fan before the ninja moved towards him. Swiping his fan forward at seemingly nothing, Ryuto thought the man attacked randomly only to be proven wrong when he felt something slamming into his side. The unexpected force blew Ryuto back to his original position. His side and left arm still numb from the attack, Ryuto carefully studied the old man, who had a confident smile on his face.

"(What was that? There was no way he could have hit me from that distance... yet the way he waved his fan matched the attack's direction...)" Ryuto thought before preparing to attack once more. This time Ryuto moved from side to side, leaving dark red blurs with each move. Shingen raised his fan again, this time Ryuto carefully watching as he continued moving in an unpredictable pattern. Swiping his fan again, Ryuto caught a glimpse of light energy materializing from his fan. The ninja's eyes widened when he realized the object was a larger version of the man's fan created from his Musou. This time, the fan came at him directly from the center. With him having been able to realize nature of the man's attack, Ryuto was easily able to block the fan with his gauntlets. Despite blocking the attack, the ninja was surprised by the sudden force pushing down on him. The old man proved to be stronger than he expected, as the ninja struggled to hold back the Musou fan, the ground beneath him cracking in the process. Grunting, the ninja used all of his force to knock the fan upwards, catching Shingen off guard and temporarily throwing off his balance.

Using that chance, Ryuto dashed around to the man's side and swung his blade to the old man's neck. Regaining his composure at the last minute, Shingen was able to block the attack and powered his fan with his Musou. With the added power, he swiped his fan at the ninja, hitting his gauntlet and knocking him up into the air. After being thrown into the air, Ryuto saw his chance and fired three arrows to the man's blind spot behind him. Anticipating the attack, Shingen stomped his foot into the ground, causing the earth around him to raise, forming a barrier behind him. The arrows struck the earthen wall and became stuck in them before they could hit Shingen. Landing behind him, Ryuto carefully looked at the new barrier that was formed, as it completely obscured his vision of the Takeda lord.

"Tell me, have you heard of the phrase Furin Kazan? It's something I'm rather fond of. It's a quote by Sun Tzu that I have incorporated into the way I lead my men in battle. It also turns out that the way I fight personally also reflects this teaching. Time for a lesson, ninja. First be as immovable as the mountain," Shingen's voice echoed from behind the wall. Ignoring the man's words, Ryuto dashed forward as he charged his crimson red Musou into his blades. Using both blades, he cross slashed the wall, cleaving it into four parts instantly. His eyes widened when saw no sign of the Takeda lord behind the now destroyed wall. Suddenly sensing a presence behind him, he turned around to be greeted by the sight of Shingen's Musou fan coming towards him.

"Second lesson! Be as silent as the forest!"

Crossing his arms, Ryuto blocked the attack, but the sudden force sent him skidding back several feet away. Putting his arms down, he was surprised to see Shingen already in front of him, his arm ready to swing his fan.

"Be as swift as the wind!" Shingen announced as he swung his fan forward. Instead of hitting Ryuto, the fan instead produced another powerful gust of wind, blowing the ninja into the air. Regaining his balance while in the air, Ryuto fired six arrows down towards Shingen. Unfazed Shingen jumped upwards, cracking the ground from the force of his jump. Flames forming around his fan, Shingen smacked away the arrows, causing flames and sparks to fly from the impact. He was then above Ryuto, who saw the man was already in position to attack with flame empowered fan.

"Lastly, be as fierce as fire!" Shingen exclaimed, bringing his fan down on the ninja. The impact created a pillar of fire that catapulted Ryuto down towards the ground, creating a large shockwave and causing flames to disperse around the area as the ninja was blown into a crater. Groaning in pain, Ryuto struggled to get up. He had several burns on his arms and part of his armor was scorched and ripped. Looking up, he saw Shingen descending down to his spot. Sliding back, he narrowly avoided the old man, who crashed down onto the crater where he just was, completely shattering the ground below him even further.

"Not bad, old man... you're a lot tougher than I expected. I guess that Tiger of Kai title of your's is well earned," Ryuto complimented in a cold tone, as he rubbed his bruises and burns.

"Heh, when you get as old and famous as I am, you're life is constantly in danger. Believe me, you are not the first ninja to have come for my life," Shingen said, his Musou flowing through his fan again. The two stared each other down, their Musou empowering thier own weapons, crimson red through Ryuto's gauntlets, and a larger clear fan materializing from Shingen's fan. The two dashed towards each other and began a fierce clash with their weapons flying towards each other. Ryuto kept launching attack after attack from different angles, leaving a crimson red streak each time he moved. Shingen rapidly met each attack with his fan however, due to the ninja's speed, he did not stay in one location long enough for Shingen to use his full force to push the ninja away. The two kept moving at an extremely fast pace, with neither combatant being able to get the upper hand on the other. Sparks continued to fly as the clash between the two intensified even further. One of Ryuto's attacks then aimed straight for Shingen's face. Just as the older man moved his arm to block, he felt a sudden pain in his chest, causing his arm to twitch and slow down. Although he was still able to deflect the attack, the delay in his reaction allowed Ryuto to continue his attack. The blade of his gauntlet made a loud screeching sound as it scraped against the side of Shingen's mask. Blowing the ninja back with a gust of wind, he was able to prevent another attack. Tightly clutching his chest, Shingen's breathing began to hasten.

"(This is bad... I knew I didn't have much time left, but at this rate)" Shingen thought, as he felt another wave of discomfort pass through his chest. Ryuto was able to sense something change from within Shingen. Seeing his chance, the ninja began running towards the weakened man. As he was running, he felt something rolling by his feet and instinctively jumped at the last second. His instincts would be proven right when multiple explosions were set off beneath him. Looking over to his side, he saw a spear being hurled towards him. Hitting back the spear, it landed beside Katsuyori, who had thrown it. Landing, Ryuto saw Masayuki, who had just arrived in the camp. Suddenly countless Takeda soldiers ran into the camp, completely surrounding the ninja.

"Father! Are you alright?" Katsuyori asked worriedly as he rushed to the man's side.

"Ah, Katsuyori, Masayuki, your timing is as impeccable as ever," Shingen said, letting out a deep breath. The Takeda troops slowly approached the ninja, who saw no easy way to escape.

"I suggest you give up, ninja. There's no chance of you escaping here on your own," Masayuki stated, pointing his poleaxe at the ninja. Brandishing his blades, Ryuto prepared to fight against the horde that surrounded him. Fully accepting his fate, the ninja prepared to leap forward, but stopped when he sensed something coming. Many screams and panicked voices rang throughout the area causing everyone turned to the entrance of the camp. Everyone's eyes widened when several Takeda men were thrown through the entrance, skidding on their backs. Appearing after them was Ren, who was riding atop the Storm Runner. Cutting down several men along the way, Ren continued to ride forward.

Having his horse jump over several men, Ren aimed his spear straight towards Shingen. Shingen quickly blocked the attack from Ren with his fan. The two were caught in a blade lock until Ren quickly began overpowering the old man, slowly pushing him down. Sensing something from behind him, Ren let go of Shingen and swung his spear back, hitting Masayuki's axe. The two intently stared at each other as they continued to trade blows. Just as Masayuki began charging at him again, he saw Shingen and the others rushing at him from each direction. Charging flames into his blade, he released it all at once, pushing everyone back with the intensity of the heat. Using that chance, Ren rushed over to Ryuto. The ninja couldn't react as Ren grabbed Ryuto by the back of his shirt, pulling him onto Storm Runner. Securing his ally, Ren quickly raced out the camp the way he came. Due to Tatsu's speed, as well as everyone still recovering from his last attack, no one could stop him as he rushed outside.

"My lord, are you alright?" Masayuki asked, rushing to Shingen's side.

"Yes, yes. Don't worry. More importantly, who was that just now?" Shingen asked, intrigued.

"That was Ujiyasu Hōjō's son, Ren," Masayuki replied.

"Ah, I see. That's the one they call the dragon. Haha, I can see why Kenshin took a liking to him. No one else but Kenshin has ever had the audacity to ride into my camp alone like that," Shingen said, amused.

"Father, what should we do now? Should we pursue them?" Katsuyori asked to which Shingen just shook his head and waved his hand.

"No, forget it. You saw how fast that mount of his was right? I can tell you right now that there's not a single horse in our army that can catch up to that. Beside as tired as everyone is right now, there's little point. Let's return to Kai. Once our army has rested and replenished our supplies, we'll make our next move," Shingen ordered, as everyone nodded and quickly rushed to make their preparations. While they did so, Shingen slowly return to his seat, and sat down with a loud sigh.

"Ujiyasu is troublesome enough, and now his boy is going to prove to be trouble too... There's not much time left, I need to settle this soon. I must silence the Lion as well as another Dragon," Shingen whispered to himself, as he looked to the sky above.

(Suruga Forest, Suruga)

After riding away in silence for several minutes, the two eventually stopped at a lake to allow Tatsu to rest. Dismounting, Ren took a seat on the ground while his horse began to drink from the lake. Ryuto meanwhile leaned against a tree. The two stay in complete silence until Ren decided to speak up.

"So... you want to explain why made such a dangerous decision without orders?" Ren asked.

"I was never ordered to not go after Shingen. I finished my task and saw a chance to finish things," Ryuto replied coldly.

"You could've gotten yourself killed. I know you're strong, but even so you can't take risks like that by yourself," Ren said, frowning.

"I'm just a single ninja. My duty is to ensure victory for our forces. If I could've killed Shingen right then and there at the cost of my life, then I would've gladly done so," Ryuto replied.

"Why are you so insistent on your life being worth so little? Ninja or not, no one's life should just be tossed away like that," Ren said.

"Hm, Master says the same thing, but I can't accept that. It's just how I've always been. I don't see how I'm capable of doing anything else. My purpose is fulfill my missions. Whether or not I survive is of little consequence," Ryuto said with an emotionless look in his eyes.

"How you've always been? Does that mean that you were originally from somewhere else?" Ren asked. Ryuto's narrowed and he let out a sigh through his mask.

"You are my lord, so I suppose it's only right you know about me," Ryuto said, his voice sounding lonelier than usual. Ren turned around to face him, as Ryuto stared at the ground.

"I wasn't always part of the Fuma... I was originally from the Kyoto. There I was raised and trained to be a ninja from birth by a notorious yet secret group of ninja mercenaries called the Black Vipers. Ever since I was seven, I've been carrying out assassinations and eventually became proficient at it," Ryuto explained.

"Black Vipers?" Ren asked, having never heard of that name.

"They were considered the most powerful and dangerous group of ninjas that had tremendous influence and connections throughout the capital. Usually wealthy and powerful officials and lords would often hire them to handle assassinations and other missions like that to handle their enemies. They didn't care who hired them or for what purpose. All that mattered was money," Ryuto said, staring intently at the ground.

"I'm guessing they were hired quite often considering how much chaos the capital had been years," Ren said to which Ryuto nodded.

"Indeed. We were constantly hired to kill political opponents. One minute we were hired by one man then the next we had to kill someone who had just hired our services. As long we got paid, it didn't matter what happened. That was the way our leader ran things," Ryuto explained.

"He sounds pretty ruthless," Ren said, frowning.

"He was. He was even referred to as the Viper of Kyoto. In terms of strength, I'd say he's within the same realm as Master. He was a cold blooded man who only cared for money and power. Thanks to all of the powerful officials who had hired his services, the Black Vipers soon became a very influential force in the dealings in the capital. Soon we received a mission from the Shogun, Yoshiteru Ashikaga, who was beginning to regain great influence and strength for the Shogunate. Our mission was to kill the leaders and families of the Miyoshi clan, who Yoshiteru was in struggle for power against," Ryuto said.

"That's right, the Ashikaga and Miyoshi clans were in a power struggle for control of the government. So you were thrown into that battle too?" Ren asked. Ryuto nodded as he continued.

"By then I had already completely countless missions on my own and had gained the full trust of our leader. Knowing just how important this task was, he assigned me along with five other elites to handle this. If we were successful then the Black Vipers would've had the full trust of Ashikaga and we would've gained more power than ever. I didn't think much of it, I just simply thought it was another mission until..." Ryuto's eye's narrowed, as he appeared to struggle a bit.

"When we got there, the lords were already gone, but their families were still in the castle. I entered first to deal with it myself while the others stood guard. There I encountered a little girl who was still asleep,"

(Flashback)

 _While the young girl was sound asleep in her room, Ryuto slowly approached her, his blades brandished from his gauntlets. He suddenly stopped when the girl rolled over in her sleep, now facing him. She had a calm and peaceful face as she lightly snored. Just as Ryuto raised his hand, he noticed himself shaking._

 _"(W-What's going on with me? Why can't I bring myself to do this?)" Ryuto thought as he looked at the girls face. Her slow movements as she breathed in and out and the way her lips slowly moved in her sleep only continued to make the young ninja hesitate. Having only ever targeted older individuals, Ryuto had never had to deal with this new feeling. He tried to make his hand move, but whenever he did, he felt his gut getting tighter. After two minutes of struggling, he lowered his hand in defeat._

 _"(I-I can't do it... What's wrong with me?)" Ryuto pondered, looking at his shaking hands. Sighing he turned around, but noticed his allies coming in through the window. They were five men, each dressed in black and purple gi much like him._

 _"Ryuto, what's taking so long? The Miyoshi will be back any second now. We need to clear this place up and ambush them when they least expect it," one of them stated._

 _"I know... but I can't bring myself to do it..." Ryuto said in a low tone._

 _"You can't do it? The boss fully trusts you. Haven't you killed countless others? How is this any different?" another one asked. The then looked over at the sleeping girl and realized what was going on._

 _"Ah, I see. This is your first time dealing with children. I guess I can't blame you since you're so young. Fine, we'll deal with this ourselves," one of them said. He then pulled out a knife and slowly approached the child. Ryuto's eyes widened as he raised his knife, moonlight reflecting off the blade. His heart started beating faster, as he saw the knife nearing the child. His body moving on it's own, Ryuto moved forward. Just before the blade made contact with the girls flesh, it made a clinging sound as it hit Ryuto's blade. The ninja's eyes widened as he saw a fierce glare from his ally._

 _"Ryuto, what are you doing? Have you forgotten our mission?" he asked in a serious tone._

 _"I know our mission, but how can we just slaughter innocent children like this. Corrupt officials and lords are one thing, but can we not spare these children who have nothing to do with anything?" Ryuto asked, using all of his strength to keep the ninja's knife from reaching the oblivious girl._

 _"Our mission is absolute. Our lives are not our own. We simply do as we are told. That is the creed we live by. Have you forgotten all of that? If so, then we'll bring you back to the boss. He'll be sure to set you straight," another ninja said, unsheathing his sword. He rushed over to Ryuto. Kicking away the ninja with the knife, Ryuto blocked the sword that came for him._

 _"If you are going to get in our way then you are an obstacle to our mission," The ninja with the sword stated as he continued to slash at Ryuto. Making sure the girl was out of harms way, Ryuto went on the offensive. Kicking the ninja's sword into the air, it embedded itself into the roof. Ryuto cut across the ninja's neck with speed too fast for him to see. As he was about to rush towards Ryuto, he felt his neck splitting, as blood began pooling out. Unable to move his body, he fell to the ground. Seeing his allies death, the ninja with the knife lunged forward. Ryuto dodged his attack and quickly swiped his hand up. The ninja's vision darkened, as he fell onto his back, a visible cut seen in the center of his face from his chin to his forehead._

 _Looking to his side, the remaining three ninjas had pulled out their weapons and glared daggers at him. Two of them pulled out a chain sickle while the other unsheathed two knives from his back. Ryuto prepared to jump up as he saw two chains flying towards him. The ninja abruptly stopped however, once he realized that the girl was behind him, and would be hit if he dodged. Making up his mind, Ryuto aimed to cut the chains that came from both sides. His eyes widened when his blades failed to hit anything, as the chains suddenly changed direction. The cold hard chains wrapped around each of his arms, as the two ninjas moved to opposite sides of the room, pulling Ryuto's arms to his sides. They then simultaneously tossed their sickles at the ninja's neck with the aim to decapitate him. Unfazed, Ryuto lowered his head, as the blades passed over him. As they did so, he aimed his gauntlets at the two ninjas. Without even looking, he fired an arrow from each gauntlet. The one on the left was shot right in his forehead, killing him instantly. The other was able to move his body just in time to avoid the same fate, but the arrow still impaled his arm, forcing him to drop his chain. Seeing his comrades falling one after another, the ninja with the knives quickly dashed out the window with a panicked face._

 _"Hehe, I see why everyone is so afraid of you. That won't matter though once the boss hears about this," the ninja said slyly while clutching his bleeding arm. His wound was too serious, as he slumped on the ground. Ryuto closed his eyes, as he fired another arrow into the ninja's chest, immediately killing him. Afterwards, he rushed over to the window and saw the last ninja dashing through the trees outside. Carefully aiming his gauntlet, Ryuto focused on his moving target. Infusing his red Musou into thec crossbow, he fired Musou powered arrow out the window. With it's speed and power amplified many times over, the arrow soon struck the unsuspecting ninja in the back, causing him to fall from the tree to the hard ground below with a loud thud. With his last target eliminated, Ryuto looked around the room where four of his former allies lied defeated, covered in puddles of their own blood. Staring at his shaking hands, Ryuto frowned._

 _"What did I just do... Why did I do this?" Ryuto contemplated. He heard some rustling, as he turned around to see the little girl slowly waking up from her slumber. He then heard many heavy footsteps nearing the room._

 _"What's going here?!" A guard yelled out as he forcefully opened the door. He was followed by two others, each with their weapons unsheathed. Their eye's widened, as they saw corpses of the four assassins. Beside them, they saw the girl slowly getting up from her sleep._

 _"Mmmh, what's going on?" the little girl groggily asked, as she rubbed her eyes. The guards were speechless at the sight before them. One quickly ran off to inform the others while the remaining two looked around the room, but were unable to find anyone else. By then Ryuto was already several meters away from the castle. He hastily ran under the cover of the night. Behind him, he could hear the castle getting on high alert after discovering the others ninjas._

 _"I can't go back to Kyoto. Not after this... But where can I go?" Ryuto pondered as he continued to run aimlessly through the night._

(End Flashback)

"And that's how I eventually ended up in Kanto," Ryuto explained, his eyes closed as he finished recalling his story. Ren remained silent, as he Ryuto reopened his purple eyes to reveal a conflicted look.

"After that happened, the Miyoshi found out about our assassination attempt and the Black Vipers became an enemy of theirs. To make matters even worse, the Ashikaga believed we betrayed them, effectively making both sides to consider us an enemy. When this happened, the Black Vipers lost virtually all influence they had in the capital and were quickly hunted down by both forces. I hear they suffered heavy losses in the ensuing chaos and were forced to go into even deeper hiding. Now that the Oda control the capital, it is very likely they have been wiped out as a result of his total control," Ryuto said, his hands clutching his arms.

"It was because of my actions that so many ended up dying as a result. After that, I decided to fulfill my missions no matter the cost. I still don't know if the choice I made was the right one..." Ryuto said solemnly.

"That wasn't your fault!" Ren exclaimed in a serious tone, taking the ninja by surprise.

"You can't blame yourself for something like that. If they were constantly having dealings like that then sooner or later they would've met this fate," Ren explained.

"Maybe... but I was still the one who cut down my comrades because I couldn't go through with the mission," Ryuto replied.

"What happened then wasn't your fault. You made the right choice. Ninja or not, you are still a person with a heart. Anyone with sense would've hesitated had they been forced to do that. You don't have to do everything by yourself just because you feel like it's your duty. We're your allies and friends. Don't ever try to do something so dangerous by yourself, we'll always be there to help you out," Ren said.

"My lord..." Ryuto was shocked by his lord's reaction. Recomposing himself, he turned his back to him.

"I'll keep those words in mind," Ryuto said, his voice returning to his normal emotionless tone. Ren smiled and shook his head. He then felt something nudging his shoulder and saw it was Tatsu. Seeing his horse rested and ready, the two prepared to set off.

"No more rushing off on your own, understand? That's an order," Ren said, mounting Tatsu.

"Hm funny, considering you just charged into the Takeda camp by yourself. It's one thing for a ninja like me to do that, but a commander doing that is beyond foolish," Ryuto replied, getting behind his lord on the horse.

"Heh, maybe so. I guess we both need to keep an eye on each other then," Ren said before the two began riding off.

(Sunpu Manor, Suruga)

Ujiyasu let out a sigh as he looked at the sight before him. Hearing the sound of hooves approaching, he turned around to see Ren and Ryuto emerging from the forest.

"Oh, you're finally back. I see you picked up our runaway ninja too," Ujiyasu commented, as the two dismounted.

"Yeah, it wasn't easy but it looks like the Takeda are leaving, at least for now. Wait, what's going on here?" Ren asked, taking note of the castle. Hayakawa and the others appeared to be distributing items to the Imagawa soldiers, who were packing up. Looking around, he saw carts being loaded, and many soldiers who were departing.

"The Imagawa are disbanding," Ujiyasu said, smoking his pipe.

"What? Disbanding?" Ren asked.

"That's right. I guess you haven't heard the news yet," Yasutomo said, walking up to the three.

"News?" Ryuto asked, unsure of what the man was talking about.

"The Tokugawa captured Kakegawa Castle. After that, the rest of Tōtōmi fell quickly after," Ujiyasu explained.

"What? They captured it that quickly? Surely we would have heard of their attack much sooner," Ren said, shocked. Yasutomo shook his head.

"Not necessarily. The truth is... we've had to mobilize virtually all of the forces within our territory just to defend this castle. All of the others were barely left with several dozen men. I had hoped to be able to repel the Takeda much sooner, but in the end we were too late," Yasutomo said.

"What? This was the entirety of the Imagawa?" Ryuto asked, shocked as he looked around. Most of the men in the area belonged to the Hōjō while the Imagawa only numbered a few dozen.

"I knew things were dire, but this..." Ren said.

"Ever since Okehazama, the Imagawa have been less than a shell of our former strength. The losses we sustained in that battle, as well as the men we lost at Kakegawa and here today as well, have all served to cripple us even further. All of the others have either deserted or defected to the Takeda and Tokugawa. This is all we have left now," Yasutomo said, sighing at the sorry state that his clan had found itself in.

"With only this, defending just this castle from another attack is impossible, much less all of Suruga," Ryuto stated.

"Sadly it's true... the once great Imagawa is now officially finished. I knew putting all of our men here would be a great risk, but if we hadn't, the Takeda would've run through us effortlessly. There was no other option. I suppose this is better than being wiped out though," Yasutomo said.

"So, what's going to happen now?" Ren asked.

"We've decided to distribute money and food to all of the remaining men who have stayed. They can all go and find new lives now whether its to joining another clan or living a peaceful life," Yasutomo explained.

"I see... what about Lord Ujizane?" Ren asked to which Ujiyasu pointed at a carriage with the Imagawa lord inside.

"We'll be bringing him back to Kanto with us. We'll stick him in Izu, where he'll be able to live out his life in peace playing Kemari or whatever he wants," Ujiyasu said.

"Thank you so much again for taking care of him, Lord Ujyasu," Yasutomo bowed.

"Don't worry about it. This way, he won't be a target anymore. Besides you've taken care of him all this time, I should thank you for both Yoshimoto and my wife," Ujiyasu said gratefully.

"No, it's just a retainer's duty. Be sure to send my regards to Lady Suikeiin for me. I have not had the chance to see her in a long time now," Yasutomo said to which Ujiyasu nodded. The four of them looked over to see Hayakwa, Kai, Kotarō and Naotora walking towards them.

"Father, we've distributed all of the supplies. Everyone is getting ready to leave now," Hayakawa reported. Ujiyasu nodded at his daughter, as he looked over to see all of the Imagawa soldiers leaving in different directions. Kotarō walked over to Ryuto with his usual smirk.

"Causing trouble again, I see," Kotarō said, amused.

"Hmph, I just underestimated my enemy is all. I won't make that mistake next time," Ryuto said, turning his head away from his master.

"Going there in the first place was a mistake. Don't forget that you take orders from him now. Don't do anything that he doesn't tell you to do," Kotarō ordered. Ryuto stared intently at Ren, who was still talking to the others.

"He's an interesting one, thats for sure," Ryuto said to which Kotarō's smile got a little brighter.

"What are you two going to do now?" Ren asked, looking at Yasutomo and Naotora.

"U-Um, I was planning on going to join Lord Ieyasu actually," Naotora said nervously.

"What?! Really?!" Kai yelled out, scaring Naotora.

"Now that Tōtōmi has fallen, Lord Ieyasu controls Enshu. As the leader of the Ii and as a mother, I have to do what's best for my clan and family," Naotora said, new confidence flashing in her eyes.

"That's a good attitude as a leader. Take care, Lady Naotora," Ujiyasu said sincerely to which Naotora thanked.

"Please stay safe Lady Naotora. If you ever need anything, you can always come to us," Hayakawa said, grabbing her hand, as Kai grabbed the other one.

"That's right! We'll always be friends no matter what. Even if we stand on different sides of the battlefield, we'll always have each others backs," Kai said, flashing a smile to which Naotora nodded happily. Ren smiled at the sight before and said his goodbyes to her as well. She made one last bow to them and waved before running over to her men from the Ii clan. Mounting her horse, she flashed them one last smile before setting off with her men.

"What about you, Master Yasutomo? Are you going to join the Tokugawa too?" Ren asked the older man. Yasutomo appeared to be in deep thought before shaking his head.

"No. I don't intend on joining anyone. I've spent most of my life in service to the Imagawa. I'm not sure if serving anyone else really suits me. I think I'll take this chance to explore the land. I've never really the opportunity to travel around, so I suppose this is a good time to see what the rest of the land is like. I was thinking about going West first," Yasutomo said, rubbing his chin.

"I see... Well if you ever find yourself in Kanto, please come see us. You're always welcome there," Ren offered, as Ujiyasu and the others nodded in agreement.

"Yes, that sounds very nice. I'm sure I'll arrive there in time," Yasutomo said, strapping his spear to his back and mounting his horse. After adjusting his scarf, he prepared to set off. He stared a long time at Ren, who looked at him questioningly.

"It has been an honor fighting alongside you all. I promise we will meet again, Lord Ren. As well as all of you. Until then, farewell," Yasutomo said, his horse moving away from the castle slowly. As he moved further and further from the castle, the Imagawa general looked back at Ren and closed his eyes. Images of the younger boys battles played throughout his head and the words he said resonated throughout his mind. Looking up into the sky, which now held a warm orange glow as the sun set, Yasutomo recalled the words his lord spoke a while ago.

" _You should follow your heart and do what you truly wish to do. A warrior of your ability and loyalty should not die along with this clan"_

His mind then drifted back to what Masayuki had said to him before during the battle.

" _No matter how great a spear you may be, without a worthy master to wield you, you are nothing more than a decoration"_

Sighing, a sorrowful smile found it's way to Yasutomo's lips. Gently putting his hand over the Imagawa emblem on his scarf, Yasutomo slowly closed his eyes.

"Forgive me, my lord. I will have to have to delay your wish, at least for now. As much as my heart wishes to do that, I'm not worthy to stand by his side just yet. Until we meet again, Lord Ren" Yasutomo whispered as he continued along his path.

 **And there we go with another chapter! Now that the Imagawa are finished, what will happen next? Well if you played the game or know general history, then you can probably guess whats going to happen next. Well anyway, thanks again for reading and I will see you guys on the next chapter of Bonds of the Hōjō!**


	13. The Tiger's Siege

**Hey we go with another chapter of Bonds of the Hōjō! Last time our good friends, the Imagawa, were officially disbanded and we learned more about Ryuto's past. What will happen next? Sit back, relax, and find out now.**

Chapter 13: The Tiger's Siege

(Outer Odawara Castle Wall, Kanto)

"My lord, all of our men are now in position," a Hōjō soldier reported. Ren nodded as he looked around at the the sight below him. Currently he was standing on top of the outer wall of the Tertiary Ward. The sun was glaring down as it lit up the bright landscape below them. From on their position, they could see miles and miles of farmland and homes followed by bright green forests and roads that led to the gate below him. He then turned his attention back to the men around him.

Everyone was scurrying around, trying to finish their preparations. Many crates and barrels were loaded up while others brought supplies and weapons in from the castle. Men along the edge of the walls were polishing and loading their rifles while others were sharpening their spears and swords. He then saw Kai running over to him with a big smile on her face.

"Lord Ren, we're almost ready to go. Let's show those Takeda what we can do!" Kai said enthusiastically. Ren smiled at his long time friends attitude. Her cheerfulness and confidence helped ease his nerves before their incoming battle.

 _(Flashback- Earlier that morning)_

 _(Main Keep, Odawara Castle)_

 _Around two weeks after the battle at Suruga, the Hōjō received some troubling news. After sending some of his forces to occupy the now unoccupied lands of Suruga, Shingen was leading a large force into Kanto. Hearing this news, Ujiyasu had everyone in Kanto in high alert and assembled everyone together in the castle. With a large map of Kanto laid out on the table, Ujiyasu began discussing the plan with everyone._

 _"Alright, we all know Shingen is coming. His forces have just left Tsutsujigasaki Manor and will soon cross into our borders," Ujiyasu said. Everyone began getting worried as they heard about the sheer size of the invasion force being led by Shingen himself._

 _"I know that you're all worried about Shingen. Unlike with Suruga, this time Shingen is personally commanding his men. Whether it's Shingen, Kenshin, or anyone else, we've never once let another run loose over our homes. Are we going to start now?" Ujiyasu asked seriously. Seeing their lord's determination in his eyes, everyone felt a sense of renewed confidence pass through them. Shaking their heads, they firmly looked at their lord, as he smiled._

 _"Good. Now matter what enemy we face, we're the Hōjō. We can let a lot of things go, but we'll never allow anyone to harm our family. Isn't that right, you idiots?!" Ujiyasu asked. Everyone cheered as they anxiously awaited their lord's orders._

 _"Alright, heres the plan. Shingen's ultimate goal is here at Odawara. To reach here, he'll have to pass through many of our others castles in central Kanto. The plan is focus solely on defense, and whittle away at their strength and spirit until they can't fight anymore. I'm not expecting any of you to completely destroy their forces, all we need to do is defend our home with all we've got. To give them one hell of a fight. Once they're at their limit, they'll give up," Ujiyasu explained, as everyone nodded at him. He then pointed to several castles on the map._

 _"Ujikuni and Tsunashige will defend Hachigata Castle, Ujiteru will handle Hachiōji Castle, Nagachika at Oshi Castle and Masashige at Kawagoe Castle. Those castles are directly in Shingen's path and will be handling the brunt of his attack. Remember all of you, no matter what, only focus on defending. Do not attack unless I give the order," Ujiyasu ordered._

 _"Now as for Odawara, Ren, Ujinaga, and the boy will defend the outer Tertiary Ward. You three will be the first line of defense once Shingen gets here. I don't need you to beat him, just give him a good fight and tire him out before he gets into the castle," Ujiyasu said._

 _"For the last time, I'm not a boy!" Kai yelled in frustration as Ren and her father let out a chuckle. Ujiyasu, ignoring her, continued giving out his orders._

 _"Ujinori and Hayakawa will handle the Defensive Ward. If Shingen gets through the Tertiary Ward, you three will meet up with those two and fend him off as best you can. Ujimasa and Kotarō are in charge of the Secondary Ward. Norihide takes the Komine Ward, and everyone else in Odawara will be with me and handle the Lotus Pond, and Main Wards. Everyone else will defend their own castles. Remember, no one makes a move without my order, got it?" Ujiyasu asked. Everyone nodded as they received their orders._

 _"Good, now let's go and teach that Shingen what happens when you mess with our home!" Ujiyasu yelled. Everyone cheered with their lord, as they quickly left to make their preparations. After leaving the room, Ren was outside together with Ryuto, Ujiteru, and Ujikuni._

 _"All right, we'll be off then. We better hurry before the Takeda show up," Ujikuni said._

 _"Yeah, you handle things here, alright brother?" Ujiteru asked._

 _"Yeah I will. Don't worry, I promise I won't let you guys down," Ren assured._

 _"We better be making our own preparations then," Ryuto suggested._

 _"Wait, actually I have a mission for you, Ryuto," Ren said. Ryuto stood in attention as he awaited his orders._

 _"Can I ask you to go with Ujiteru and help him defend Hachiōji? Since Ujikuni already has Master Tsunashige with him, I thought it wouldn't hurt for Ujiteru to have a bit of backup since they'll be among the first to face the Takeda," Ren explained._

 _"If that's your order, then of course I'll follow it," Ryuto said, bowing to his lord._

 _"Thanks a lot, brother. I could really use the extra help," Ujiteru said, grateful._

 _Just as the three of them prepared to leave the castle, Ren called out to Ryuto._

 _"Also, don't go after them by yourself again, that's an order," Ren said, smiling. The ninja closed his eyes, and a smile could be seen forming under his mask._

 _"Well if that's your order then I don't really any choice, do I?" Ryuto said, continuing to leave._

 _(Flashback End)_

Nodding at his friend, the two of them began walking around to take one last look at their preparations. As they looked around at their men, the two noticed Ujinaga approaching them.

"Lord Ren, I have news. Lord's Ujiteru and Ujikuni were both successfully able to repel the Takeda's attack. They will soon reach Odawara in a matter of hours," Ujinaga reported.

"I see, that's good. The Takeda haven't been able to capture any castles so far. By the time they reach here, their fighting strength and morale will have plummeted," Ren said, rubbing his chin.

"Alright! I knew there was no way they could beat us!" Kai exclaimed confidently.

"Kai, don't get ahead of yourself. The battle isn't over yet," Ujinaga warned his daughter.

"I know, Father. Still as long as we're all together then we can't lose. Isn't that right, Lord Ren?" Kai asked. Ren smiled at her and nodded.

"Yeah, you're right," Ren said, walking over to the edge of the wall. Feeling the wind blow through his hair, he squinted when he saw something just beyond the horizon. Just then a messenger ran up to the three of them and reported.

"My lord! The Takeda forces have arrived within the vicinity of Odawara. They'll reach here soon!" the messenger reported. Everyone became alerted by the news, and began hastening their preparations.

"Yeah, I can just about see them. They'll probably get here before the hour is done," Ren said, carefully staring off into the horizon. Soon the incoming force became more visible, as a large wave of red completely covered the landscape. He saw countless cavalrymen approaching, their numbers seemingly endless.

"Everyone, hurry to your positions! This is where we make our stand!" Ren ordered. Everyone nodded as they rushed to their positions. A long line of riflemen lined themselves along the wall, each with their rifles aimed below. A row of archers took their positions behind them while all of the infantry stood between the two groups, ready to defend them. Ren pulled out his spear from his back and stood in front of them. Kai unsheathed her sword and stood by him.

(Play Wrath- Annihilation)

"Alright, once the Takeda are in range, archers will begin their volley. Once they get closer, riflemen will be up. Only fire once they get close. If any get close to the gate, prioritize them first. Everyone else, protect the riflemen and archers. If any of them get up here, take them out immediately," Ren ordered. All of the men nodded in agreement as they anxiously awaited the arrival of the Takeda. The sound of countless hooves stomping on the ground echoed throughout the area which continued to get louder as they neared the castle walls. Countless banners flowed with the wind, all bearing the either the symbol of the Takeda or the characters "Furin Kazan". As massive force drew closer, Ren raised his hand. Seeing them come within several tens of meters within the castle, Ren brought his hand down.

"Release!" Ren ordered. As soon as he said that, the archers raised their bows into the air and all fired at once. Countless arrows flew into the sky, soon reaching too high for the people to see. As the Takeda drew closer, they heard the sounds of something falling towards them. Before they had any time to react, they were bombarded by a rain of arrows. Many cries of pain from both men and horses rang out soon to be followed by the sound of bodies hitting the ground. As the archers continued firing, the Takeda remained undaunted as they continued to push forward even as tens of their own were punctured by the endless barrage of arrows. Quickening their pace, the Takeda rushed closer and closer to the castle until they were nearly right by the walls.

"Fire!" Ujinaga ordered. On cue, all the riflemen fired simultaneously. The sound of the tens of rifles being fired at once nearly blocked out the sounds of the Takeda men's armor and flesh being blown into by the shots. The front row of cavalrymen were immediately taken out by the sudden attack, but were quickly replaced by the units behind them. Between the rows of cavalry, Ren spotted several men carrying long ladders. Seeing the riflemen in the process of reloading, the men lifted and placed the long ladders against the walls which reached the very top. More than a dozen were lined up against the wall, with several men already climbing up. Ren motioned to his spearmen, who all quickly moved to the edge of the walls. As men began to climb their way up, the first ones were met with a spear stabbing them. Gasping in pain, multiple men fell down to their deaths from the high fall. Although the spearmen tried their best to halt the advance of the Takeda, their sheer numbers allowed some to make their way onto the wall. They immediately aimed for the riflemen, but were stopped by all of the reserve infantry who lied in wait. Soon the top of the walls became a chaotic battlefield as the sounds of metal clashing, rifle fire, and thudding bodies covered the area.

Ren was currently fending off three enemies who had him pinned down. Using all of the strength he had, Ren pushed the three weapons off of him. While the three were still surprised by the sudden action, Ren quickly slashed the three across the chest, knocking them down to the hard ground. Looking over he saw Kai dealing with her own batch of enemies. With a powerful roar, Kai wrapped her sword around a group of three then used them to strike a whole row of Takeda soldiers, some even being thrown off the wall from the force. As she continued fighting, a single man managed to sneak behind her. By the time she noticed, his blade was already descending down on her. With no time to counter, the Hōjō lady closer her eyes in fear at the incoming attack. To her surprise the attack never came through, as she slowly opened her eyes. The soldier had a pained look on his face, as he fell over onto the ground. His back had a long gash across it. Looking up, she saw Ren, who had just dispatched the man.

"Are you alright, Kai?" Ren asked. Seeing his concerned face, Kai felt her own face start to heat up.

"U-Um, yeah. Thanks to you, my lord," Kai replied shyly. Letting out a sigh of relief, he turned his attention back to the battlefield around him. Despite them fighting their hardest, the Takeda continued to overflow onto the castle walls. Ren looked over to Kai, who nodded, knowing what he was planning. Ren jumped over to the edge of the wall, where he looked down at a ladder that several men were in the middle of climbing up. With flames appearing around his blade, he launched a fiery slash, splitting the ladder in half. The men still on the ladder yelled out in pain as they felt themselves being engulfed in flames before falling all the way down to the cold hard ground. Looking to his side, Ren sent a flame shot towards two adjacent ladders, setting them ablaze. The wood was quickly scorched by the intensity of flames. Feeling the ladders begin to give in, the men still on desperately tried to make it to the top, only to panic once they heard the wood snap. Feeling their worlds turning, the men screamed out as the fell to their deaths.

Kai was on the other side dealing with the remaining ladders. Extending her sword, she swiped it along the side of the wall, smashing several ladders at once. The force blew the men into the air along with countless chunks of lumber. As the two dealt with all the remaining ladders, they saw several more being brought up to the wall. Just before they could continue dispatching them, they noticed a loud rumbling beneath their feat. Looking down they saw several Takeda men pushing a large wooden ram into the iron gates.

Seeing this, multiple riflemen and archers began firing at it only to have no effect. The metal covering on the top deflected all bullets and arrows, protecting the men using it underneath. As the ram continued to pound into the gate, Ren looked down on the other side to see his men struggle to hold it back. With no men at the base of the castle to stop them, the ram continued to bash into the gate, denting it even further with each impact.

As the men down below pulled the large wooden ram back to hit the gate once more, they noticed the temperature around them start to increase. Suddenly the roof of the ram split in two while suddenly catching ablaze. Ren then landed on top of the large piece of wood, causing it to drop down from the men's hands. Before they could react, Ren quickly cut down all of the soldiers before setting fire to the rest of the ram, rendering it useless. Several cavalrymen panicked before quickly rushing towards the young man. Surrounding him, they thrusted their spears at once from each side. Just before their spears made contact, Kai's sword wrapped itself around Ren's waist. He was then suddenly lifted up into the air, surprising the Takeda. Kai used all of her strength to pull Ren onto the wall beside her. Once he landed, the Takeda noticed many rifles being pointed at them from above.

"Fire!" Ujinaga ordered, as multiple shots rang out at once. In an instant, the several dozen cavalrymen below were shot down by the rain of fire. Looking around, Ren saw that all of the Takeda on the wall had been taken care of, and with the destruction of all of the ladders and the ram, the Takeda had no way of infiltrating the castle.

"That should buy us a little bit of time. For right now, it looks like we have the upper hand," Ujinaga said, noticing the men below panicking as the rain of bullets and arrows intensified now that there were no Takeda troops above to disrupt the volley.

"I wouldn't be so sure. The Takeda wouldn't come here to attack if they weren't fully prepared for a drawn out fight," Ren said, pointing to the center of the mass of Takeda troops. From there, they saw several long ladders being carried closer to the castle along with additional rams.

"Argh! Won't they just give up already?" Kai asked, frustrated.

"They're not going to give up so easily after coming this far, but the same can said for us. They can come at us all they want, but we're the Hōjō. We won't ever lose when it comes to protecting our home, isn't that right everyone?" Ren asked. Kai, Ujinaga and all of the soldiers around them confidently nodded as they heard their commander. Feeling motivated, everyone quickly scrambled to prepare for the next attack.

"Come on, everyone! Let's show the Takeda what it means to attack Odawara!" Ren shouted as everyone cheered. With renewed spirits, the Hōjō braced themselves as they came into another long clash with the Takeda.

(Music End)

O-O

The ensuing fight would continue on without stop as the both sides fought ferociously to gain the upper hand on the other. The battle would end up dragging on for five straight days without rest. Despite the fierce clash going on for so long, the Takeda were unable to gain any ground as they were constantly repelled from both the castle walls and gate. Thanks to the Hōjō's superior defensive display, their casualties were kept to a minimum despite the difference in numbers whereas the Takeda suffered heavy losses with their failed attempts to penetrate Odawara. On the sixth day, the Takeda's spirits had reached their limit, and it was obvious by the lack of strength in their siege. By the time the sun had set, the Takeda called off their attack and returned to their camp several miles away from the castle.

Nightfall soon came with peaceful silence filling the area, something that had not been heard since the battle had begun nearly a week ago. Currently the Hōjō soldiers above the walls were eating and relaxing after the hard fought battle. Loud merry voices could be heard followed the sound of loud eating and drinking. A large banquet of food was made by Kai, who was currently still cooking more over a large pan in the middle of a makeshift fire. The smell of delicious foods made the men cheer even more as they were finally able to enjoy themselves after the long battle.

"Come on, eat up everybody! Theres a lot more coming! Be sure to eat lots before we fight again!" Kai yelled out, making the food at an extraordinary speed. Everyone cheered as they dug into the vast placement before them. While everyone else was enjoying the little break they had, Ren sat quietly by the edge of the wall. He had taken off his chest piece along with his shoulder plate and was currently cleaning them with a wet towel. His newly cleaned blade rested beside him as the moonlight reflected itself off of the shining blade.

"Come on, my lord! Join us, the food is fantastic!" Ujinaga called out with several men agreeing.

"I'll be there in just a minute. You guys can start without me," Ren replied. Nodding the men turned back to the food when they noticed several carts being brought in from the stairs leading into the castle. Ujiyasu and Hayakawa followed after as the men placed their carts down beside the food. In the carts were countless jars, boxes, food and other supplies.

"My lord, what are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be protecting the castle?" Ujinaga asked.

"Heh, you're joking, right? All of you have been holding out so well that everyone inside has had nothing to do. Since you've all been doing so well and fighting for so long, I thought I'd come bring some gifts," Ujiyasu said, motioning to his men. They began unloading the carts and laid out the contents along the ground.

"I've brought you all plenty of extra supplies. I've also added in the best wine you can find in Kanto. After all you've done, you've earned it. Drink to your heart's content tonight boys!" Ujiyasu said, earning him loud cheers from his men. They quickly rushed over to the wine and began spreading it out amongst themselves. Enjoying delicious food and good wine, their joyful cheers echoed loudly through the area with even some in the inner city being able to hear them.

Ren smiled seeing his men enjoying themselves before turning his attention back to cleaning his armor. Seeing him by himself, Ujiyasu and Hayakawa walked over to him.

"Amazing work so far. I said you only had to hold off Shingen for a little bit, but you here you go and completely stop him in his tracks for nearly a week now," Ujiyasu said, impressed.

"No, it was thanks to Kai and everyone else for fighting so hard. We just focused on defense and thanks to everyone fighting together so well, we were able keep it up. I'm just glad that we've been able to keep the castle safe so far," Ren said.

"Well either way, I impressed. You've led and fought together with your men like a real leader so far. Get some rest tonight, I've got to head back inside the castle now. Don't push yourself too hard, alright?" Ujiyasu said before walking back. Nodding, Ren went back to wiping off dried blood and dirt from his armor. As he did so, he noticed Hayakawa taking a seat beside him.

"The moon sure is beautiful tonight, isn't it?" Hayakawa asked, looking up. The bright moonlight shined down on her face, lighting up her features. Her bright blue eyes shimmered in the darkness and her peaceful smile looked all the brighter as she continued to look upward. Ren felt a heat rising on his face as he quickly looked down at his chest armor.

"U-Uh yeah, it really is..." Ren said nervously. The two sat in silence for a while with the only noise coming from the loud partying behind them. Finally after a while, Hayakawa spoke up.

"Hey, do you know what day it is?" Hayakawa asked, looking at his concentrated face while he wiped his armor.

"No, why?" Ren asked.

"Jeez, you really did forget. Come on, it's your birthday!" Hayakawa said.

"Oh... I guess with everything going on lately, I completely forgot about that," Ren said.

"We were planning to celebrate but with the battle going on, we had to cancel it," Hayakawa said sighing.

"It's fine, I don't really need anything like that. Besides you and Kai already got me Tatsu anyway, I don't really need anything else," Ren said, placing his armor down before joining her to look into the sky.

"I know, but I still would've liked to celebrate it with you and everyone else. So you're seventeen now... Time really flies, huh?" Hayakawa said.

"Yeah it really has. It's been ten years now... since Father brought here and I met you, mother, our brothers and all the amazing people here," Ren said, a smile forming on his face as he recalled the past several years.

"Ten years... A lot has happened since then," Hayakawa said, a small frown formed on her face which didn't go unnoticed by Ren.

"You're thinking of Saburo, right?" Ren asked to which Hayakawa slowly nodded. She hugged her legs as the two continued to stare off into the night.

"Do you think he's doing alright? I can't help but be worried sometimes..." Hayakawa said.

"I know what you mean. I get worried about him sometimes too. I'm sure he's fine though, I hear the Uesugi have been treating him quite well. I'm just hope that he isn't causing too much trouble," Ren said, scratching his head. Hayakawa chuckled at his reaction.

"Yeah, I remember he used to get into all kinds of trouble when we were younger. Remember when he'd always follow you around wherever you went? He always wanted to be just like you," Hayakawa said, reminiscing their childhood.

"That's right... He'd always trail behind me, and never stopped bothering me. Even as we grew up, he always wanted to train or study together. Honestly having him around when I first came here, he made me feel what it was like to be an older brother to someone. Him together with you, and everyone else, it let feel what it was like to have a real family. I really felt like I belonged somewhere for the fist time in my life... Sometimes I still think I don't deserve all of this..." Ren said, a sad smile forming on his face. Suddenly he felt a soft hand cover his own.

"You do deserve to be here, and you do belong here, Ren. Please stop thinking like that," Hayakawa said firmly, taking Ren by surprise.

"Ever since you came to our family, everyone has been so much happier. We were all so happy to have such an amazing new brother with us. Not only that, but ever since the day you arrived, you've been working so hard to better yourself to help everyone. I know you usually stay up really late almost every night, training and studying until you nearly pass out. Every time we're thrown into a battle, you've always fought the hardest with everyone's lives in mind first just like how you've been fighting these past couple of days. No one deserves to be here more than you after all you've done for us!" Hayakawa said, determined as she looked straight into Ren's face.

"Hayakawa..." Ren was shocked by his sister's sudden words, as he felt a feeling of warmth envelope his chest.

"I don't want you to think like you don't deserve to be here, especially not after everything we've all been through together. You're part of our family, Ren. You always have, and you always will be. I know, I for one couldn't have been happier ever since Father brought you home. I've treasured every moment we spent together. Being by your side, I've always felt even closer to you than anyone else, so please don't think like that anymore," Hayakawa said, her face almost looking like it was about to cry. She felt Ren's hand tighten around her own, as his onyx eyes stared into her light blue ones.

"Yeah... you're right. I promise I won't think like that anymore. I also promise I'll keep working even harder for you and everyone else. Everyone has done so much for me, and I have so many great memories here. I'll do whatever it takes so that everyone here can keep living happily and without worry. And maybe Saburo can even come back one day, so we can all be together again," Ren promised, his grip gently tightening around Hayakawa's hand. Hayakawa nodded at her brother, as the two continued to stare at each other.

"Also... I'm really grateful for you too, Hayakawa. You've always been here for me, listening to all my worries like this, making me feel better. You've always the closest one to me, and have always helped me. I'm so glad that I had the chance to come here and meet you," Ren said, a powerful blush forming on his face. The moon served to light up his handsome features including his dark onyx eyes to his short spiked hair. Hayakawa also felt a wave of heat overcome her face as the two sat in silence for a while, their hands still locked together.

"Ren..." Hayakawa slowly said. The two unconsciously started to draw closer to each other, both still too lost in each other's eyes to process what was happening. Just as their faces were mere inches away from each other, they could feel each others breath.

"My lord!"

Both were instantly shaken from their thoughts by the sudden interruption and jumped instantly away from each other, their faces burning, realizing what had happened. Looking over, they saw several of the men walking over to them.

"U-Uh, w-what's going on?" Ren asked, still embarrassed from what had just happened.

"My lord, we just remembered that it's your birthday! Why didn't you remind us sooner?! Come on, lets celebrate!" one of them suggested, pulling the young man onto his feet.

"R-Right! Let's celebrate your birthday right now, Ren!" Hayakawa blurted out, trying to change the subject. She put her hands on his back and pushed him along to where the rest of the men were. Everyone began cheering as the saw the two arrive. Ren was sat down in the center of the large group of men with Hayakawa sitting down beside him. Kai brought over a massive bouquet of food and set it down directly in front of him. Ujinaga, who was clearly drunk from all the wine he had ingested, clumsily poured Ren a cup of his own.

"Come on, lord Ren! Don't hold back, theres more than enough for everyone. Come on everyone, let's party!" Kai said with a large smile. Looking over to his side, Hayakawa nodded at him, as she too joined in the meal. Looking around, Ren saw everyone's smiling faces and cheers as they enjoyed this momentary break from the hardships of war. They all sang and drank with genuine happiness in their voices as they urged Ren to join them. To his side, Hayakawa and Kai were both laughing as they ate together. Seeing Ren look at them, they both smiled and nodded at Ren, raising their cup to him. Everyone else followed suit, all raising their cups in the air, awaiting Ren to do the same. Looking at each and everyone of them, he saw their looks of anticipation as they all smiled at him. All of their smiling faces filled Ren's chest with a deep warmth that he had grown to love over the years. Smiling, he raised his cup as well and took a long sip. Feeling the strong liquid flow down his throat, Ren couldn't help but laugh as everyone cheered and joined in with him. As he began to indulge in the large array of food with the others, he constantly thought of how lucky he was to have everything he had now. He internally swore to protect everything that was around him, but for the moment he allowed himself to enjoy this brief moment of happiness and bliss.

(Takeda Camp, Outer Odawara)

While the mood inside the castle was joyous and spirits of the Hōjō were high, the Takeda's current state was the exact opposite. Despite the massive amount of men currently occupying the camp, not a single one of them was in a joyful mood. Most sat in silence as they awaited to attack the castle once more. After six days of relentless battles, their fruitless efforts had left nearly everyone worn down from exhaustion and grief. Those who weren't injured sat with their heads laid low as they began to truly feel the pointlessness of their battle.

The center of the camp was dimly lit by torches, just bright enough to reveal the faces of the commanders, who were pondering the situation. Shingen sat at the head of the table, his eyes closed as he gently waved his fan. Seated along the table were various generals such his son, Katsuyori, Masayuki Sanada, Nobushige Oyamada, Masakage Yamagata, Nobufusa Baba, and many others. Seeing the poor state of the battle so far, everyone felt an intense pressure in coming up with an idea.

"Grrr... This campaign has been a disaster so far. It was bad enough when we failed to capture Hachigata Castle and others, but now that we're finally here, we're still not able to make a dent in their defenses," Nobufusa said frustratingly.

"It's easy to see why Odawara Castle is considered to be impregnable... Even with vastly superior numbers and six days of fighting, we still haven't even managed to infiltrate the castle yet," Masakage said, rubbing his chin.

"I expected the battle to be tough, but I must admit the Hōjō have surpassed all of my expectations. In terms of defense, I don't think there's any other clan that can match them, and Odawara Castle only further strengthens them in that regard," Masayuki stated.

"Haha! Ujiyasu's boy is also very impressive. It seems like he's inherited Ujiyasu's penchant for defensive tactics. Not only that but he's been fighting so fiercely even most of the men are scared to go out there again," Shingen laughed heartily much to the annoyance of his men.

"Father, this isn't the time to be impressed. We still need to figure out what to do now," Katsuyori reminded.

"Right, right. So does anyone have any suggestions for this predicament?" Shingen asked. Most of the generals frowned and sat in silence. Nobushige, seeing no else speak up, raised his hand.

"My lord, we still have plenty of manpower. If our forces are this tired then theirs must be even more so. I say we send in everything we have first thing in the morning. Surely the Hōjō won't stand a chance against our full strength," Nobushige suggested.

"How foolish," Masayuki said coldly.

"What was that?!" Nobushige asked angrily.

"We've been relentlessly attacking them for nearly a week now. Our forces have been pushed to the brink, and their spirits grow weaker each day. If our attack from days ago when our strength was still at it's highest wasn't enough, what makes you think we'll have any success at our current state? Do you want to keep piling bodies at the base of the walls until there's no one left?" Masayuki asked. Nobushige slammed his fist against the table, sending waves through camp. With his veins bulging from his head, he opened his mouth to argue back only to be stopped by Shingen raising his fan over him.

"Calm down, Nobushige. Masayuki is correct. At our current state, we'll only end up incurring even more losses. By the time we breach the castle, we'd likely have less than a third of our forces left. Not only that, but due to our failure of capturing the castles on the way here, our supply lines are unstable. We won't be able to keep this up much longer," Shingen explained causing Nobushige to look down in frustration.

"Surely you can't suggest we retreat? After all this?" Nobushige asked, frowning.

"I'm not exactly happy about it either. I had planned to make a bigger mark than this. I don't want to leave things as they are now, but we may not have a choice," Shingen said, sighing.

"My lord, if I may, I have a plan to suggest," Masayuki said.

"Oh? Let's hear it then," Shingen said, intrigued.

"My lord! Surely you can't be thinking of listening to him. We can't afford to be following any half baked plans right now," Nobushige argued.

"Father, I say that we should hear Masayuki out. Right now, we need a plan more than ever. I'm willing to place my full faith in Masayuki's strategy," Katsuyori suggested.

"Ha! If you're that confident then I how can I refuse? Go on Masayuki," Shingen said. Nobushige clicked his tongue as everyone waited for Masayuki's suggestion.

"Thank you, my lord. I have a plan. We may not be able to capture Odawara, but this should ensure cripple the Hōjō's strength for a while," Masayuki said as he began to describe his plan.

O-O

(The Next Day)

"Are you sure?" Ren asked a messenger.

After a night of celebrations, the Hōjō were ready and rested for battle first thing in the morning. Just as the sun rose, the Hōjō noticed an unnatural silence that wasn't present all week. Inspecting the landscape below them, Ren, Kai, and Ujinaga noticed something strange. The large Takeda camp that lied in front of the castle was no longer there. All that was left was abandoned tents and empty boxes. Next to it were several burning fields that had been lit before the Takeda left.

"Yes, we've made sure. The Takeda forces left before sunrise. After setting fire to the surrounding area, the began heading to the Northwest, most likely back towards Kai province," the messenger reported.

"Does this mean we finally won?" Kai asked in a hopeful tone.

"Hm, it wouldn't be too hard to imagine that they finally gave up. It's been pretty apparent that their forces have been reaching their limit lately," Ujinaga said.

"Perhaps, but we shouldn't take any chances. For right now, just send out some men to extinguish the fires and collect any left over items. Everyone else is to stay on guard," Ren ordered. The messenger bowed before quickly leaving to carry out his orders.

"Wait, lord Ren. Shouldn't we take this chance to go after the Takeda? This could be our chance to finish off those guys," Kai suggested. Ren shook his head.

"No. Father told us to focus solely on defense and to not act on our own. Besides, the Takeda aren't the only ones who are worn down. All of our men here are just as tired from the fighting. We should give them the chance to rest while we can," Ren said.

"That's a good idea, my lord. I'll go and inform lord Ujiyasu," Ujinaga said before leaving. After he left, another messenger ran up to him.

"My lord, we have confirmed that the Takeda have just passed by our northern castles. They'll soon be passing near Tsukui Castle in a day or two," the messenger reported.

"If that's true then they really have given up. That means we really did win!" Kai cheered. Hearing the news, all the men began cheering alongside her. Ren meanwhile was more skeptical as he walked over the edge of the wall. Looking down, he observed his men putting the flames with buckets of water while others collected leftover weapons and supplies.

"Lord Ren? What's the matter? We won, so shouldn't you be a little happier?" Kai asked.

"(We outlasted them, but why do I feel like something isn't right here? Something is telling me that this isn't over yet...)" Ren contemplated.

(Two Days Later)

After the battle was settled, the mood around the castle slowly started returning to normal. After finishing cleaning up the outskirts of Odawara, people began returning to their homes after evacuating for the battle. The Hōjō put a lot of effort into helping the peasants restore the land that had been scorched by the Takeda. Ren meanwhile as tending to Tatsu with Hayakawa by his side. As he brushed it's mane, Hayakawa was slowly feeding the horse, who happily lapped up the food she had in her hand.

"He's really taken a liking to you lately," Ren commented.

"Well, I'm happy he's liking more than when we first met. I think he's still not too happy with Kai though..." Hayakawa said, holding back a laugh.

"Speaking of who..." Ren said, seeing Kai running over to them with a panicked look on her face.

"Lord Ren! My lady!" Kai yelled, as she ran up to them before stopping to pant in exhaustion.

"Kai, what's wrong?" Hayakawa asked, worried.

"Our lord is calling everyone! Something bad's happened!" she replied quickly. Growing worried, the two Hōjō siblings looked at each other before nodding and rushing into the castle with Kai.

(Main Keep, Odawara Castle)

As the three arrived in the conference room, they were met there by Ujiyasu, Suikeiin, Ujimasa, and Kotarō. They all seemed worried about something as a messenger was speaking with them, aside from Kotarō.

"Father? What's the matter?" Ren asked, feeling the tense mood in the room. Ujiyasu let out an annoyed sigh, as he turned to face them.

"Tell them," he ordered to which the messenger nodded.

"After the Takeda forces left for Kai, lord's Ujiteru and Ujikuni tried to pursue them after the Takeda was passing by their castles. This ended up playing into the Takeda's hands, however, when their forces became completely surrounded. Right now they fighting a bloody battle at Mimase Pass. At rate they are going, their forces will soon be routed," the messenger reported. Ren and others gasped hearing the news.

"Those boys were too rash. They wanted to achieve glory so bad and now they've played right into Shingen's hands," Suikeiin said, concerned for her sons.

"Those puppies are bravely pursuing the tiger, I see," Kotarō said, amused.

"Those idiots... They should have just followed orders and stayed out of it. They're my boys, but they're also no match for Shingen," Ujiyasu said, sighing.

"This can't be... what about Master Tsunashige's unit? Shouldn't they be close by?" Ren asked.

"He tried to convince them to reconsider, but they wouldn't listen. After they were caught in the attack, he tried to save them, but he ended up getting caught in their forces too," Ujiyasu explained.

"What about Tsukui Castle? It should be near Mimase Pass. Shouldn't they be able to send reinforcements?" Hayakawa asked.

"That won't work either. The Takeda unit that was led by Shingen's boy, Katsuyori, and Masayuki Sanada attacked the castle while they moved behind Ujiteru's unit. The castle sustained too much damage to send reinforcements. I have to admit, attacking the castle to prevent reinforcements while at the same time moving through Shida Pass to attack was a stroke of brilliance," Ujiyasu complimented.

"We surely have no choice this time. We cannot save them," Kotarō said.

"What?! We can't just leave them, we have to help our family!" Kai exclaimed.

"Sending reinforcements into a losing battle will only pointlessly spill more blood. The terrain of Mimase Pass makes it difficult to fight when you're surrounded. Shingen has the absolute advantage in that situation," Ujiyasu said, pointing the map of the area.

"No! No! I won't accept this! I won't lose! We can't just give up on them. I won't let my lord harden his heart and become a demon!" Kai said before storming out the room.

"Father, I know that this is a bad situation and logically you're right about this move, but... I can't just leave my brothers and my people to get killed like that. You've shown us that the resolve to become a demon and resolve to keep yourself from becoming one are two different things. Please, let us show you that we know that difference too," Ren said, a fire visible in his eyes.

"Ren..." Hayakawa smiled before nodding. Watching her children, a smile found it's way to Suikeiin's lips. The two of them bowed before leaving to follow after Kai.

"Brother... Sister... Thank you," Ujimasa said with conflicted look on his face. Watching them leave, Ujimasa found himself feeling restless while he fidgeted his fingers, and his foot tapping against the ground.

"If you want to go, then go!" Ujiyasu said, annoyed. Ujimasa's face lit up and bowed to him.

"Y-Yes. Thank you, father. I'll head out immediately!" the eldest son said, as he raced after his siblings. After he left, Ujiyasu sighed in annoyance as he took his pipe out of his mouth. Suikeiin let out a small laugh at her husband's reaction

"Honestly, I can't believe this. I'm surrounded by idiots!" Ujiyasu said, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"You look happy about it, too," Kotarō said, smiling as he noticed the expression on his lord's face.

"Heh... Maybe I am..."

 **Aaaaaaand there we go. Sorry this took so long. Classes have started back up again and they have wasted no time in tormenting me with endless amount of work to drain my time and patience. Honestly college is such a pain, but oh well. I refuse to let that stop me! Anyway I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and I'll see you guys next time on Bonds of the Hōjō!**


	14. Battle of Mimase Pass

**Hey guys, EpicZL here, don't worry I'm not dead. As I explained in my other story, I just had a lot of stuff to do these last few months, but fear not! I have returned with a new chapter in hand. Now sit back, relax, and enjoy chapter 14 of Bonds of the Hōjō!**

Chapter 14: Battle of Mimase Pass

(Mimase Pass, Kanto)

"We've finally made it!" Ujimasa shouted. As they reached their destination, the sounds of hundreds of hooves came to halt. The small force of Hōjō soldiers were led by Ren, Ujimasa, Hayakawa, and Kai. Looking around, they saw countless steep mountains and deep crevices as far as the eye could see. The terrain only made them feel more unease, as they could hear sounds of battle in the distance.

"Thanks goodness, it seems like Lord Ujiteru and Lord Ujikuni are still fighting hard," Kai said, letting out a sigh of relief.

"That's the part that worries me..." Ren said, feel uneasy.

"Why? Aren't we lucky that they are still holding on?" Ujimasa asked, confused.

"At first glance, yes, but think about it for a second. The Takeda brought their full force for this campaign. Put that together with being trapped in this terrain, there should no way that they have lasted this long," Ren explained.

"So that means... this is a trap?" Hayakawa gasped at the realization. Ren nodded.

"There's no doubt about it. They've been holding back most of their forces, using just about enough to keep Ujiteru and Ujikuni pinned down. Trapping them was just the first part. Their real target is our main forces that coming to the rescue," Ren said, frowning.

"Oh no! They're waiting until Father arrives with the main unit from Odawara!" Hayakawa said, worried.

"Father and brother will arrive in a couple of hours, we need to warn them!" Ujimasa said.

"Hold on. This terrain will work against no matter what. The Takeda have set up their forces in all the strategic points. Regardless of how we mobilize our forces, we'll be caught in their trap no matter how we try to save our brothers. But if we just wait then our brothers will wiped out as well. Also if we try to rescue them with our current forces, there's no chance of us all escaping in this terrain without our main forces," Ren warned.

"So we're caught in their trap either way. What can we do then?" Ujimasa asked. After thinking for a few seconds, Ren opened his eyes, revealing a determined look.

"Our only option is attack the Takeda forces, and rescue our brothers," Ren said, confusing everyone else.

"Wait? Didn't you say that we wouldn't be able to rescue them with what what we currently have?" Ujimasa asked.

"I just said we wouldn't be able to escape them, but if we can round up all of our forces, we should be able to disrupt their plans for when Father gets here" Ren said.

"I get it. As long as we put a tough fight for them, they'll have to put more and more of their forces to fight us, making it harder for them to battle our main forces with full strength," Ujimasa said, nodding in approval.

"Alright! Then let's get down there and take them on!" Kai said with burning determination.

"It's not that simple. The hard part will be actually being able to rescue them. Our current force is really small of only a few hundred. With this terrain, and with the Takeda's numbers, it'll be easy for the Takeda to trap our forces and take us out instantly if we're not careful," Ren warned.

"So we'll have to move quickly and meet up with everyone as soon as we can" Ujimasa said, tightening his grip on his spear.

"That's right. This will be crucial. There's a very good chance we might end up dying here, but even so... Our family is fighting with everything they have down there, we can't just abandon them," Ren said in a serious tone. Nodding, everyone tightened their grips on both their weapons, and the reins on their horses. Raising his spear into the air, the sunlight reflected off the blade, making a bright glow.

"Everyone! Our goal is rescue our family who are fighting with everything they have to protect our home! Let's go and all come back home together!" Ren shouted out, receiving a roar from his men. Bucking Storm Runner, the horse raised it's body into the air before rushing forward.

"Advance!"

(Play Empty Shell (Hashiba)-Shizugatake)

With his command, everyone quickly began following behind, the rumbling of hooves echoing through the area, as they charged down the mountain. As they continued moving forward, they soon saw a garrison in the distance where there appeared to be a battle taking place.

"Brother! That should be the garrison where Ujikuni is holding up!" Ujimasa said. Nodding, Ren kept his eyes trained on the garrison in below them. As they reached the edge, Tatsu jumped into the air first, followed by all of the other horses. While they were in the air, they were able to catch a look at the surprised faces of those below. A Hōjō unit led by Ujikuni could be seen with shocked faces as they looked up, but not as surprised as the Takeda forces below. Landing between the two sides with a loud slam, the Takeda forces took several steps back, as they saw the new wave of participants in the battle.

"B-Brother! Sister!" Ujikuni cried out in joy, as he saw his rescuers.

"Don't be afraid, men! There's only a few of them, charge!" With the commander's command, all of the Takeda soldiers in the area began rushing the Hōjō forces. The first several men were met with a wall of ice that stopped their advance. Before they could even try to find a way around, a long chain blade smashed through the ice, cutting through them all in the process. As the troops in the back saw their allies fall to the ground, they were unprepared for Ren to charge forward with his cavalry. Swiftly cutting through dozens of soldiers in his path, The Takeda were thrown off guard by the speed of his attack. With that his men were able to quickly overwhelm their foes while they were still taken by surprise by their commander. Within minutes, the Takeda found themselves completely overwhelmed. Seeing the tide turning against them, the remaining men quickly fled from the garrison towards their main camp. After seeing that they were out of danger, Ren quickly met back up with his Ujikuni. Seeing his brother, Ren frowned as he noticed that his face was covered in blood along with most of armor. Looking back he saw the exhausted looks on his men's faces.

"Brothers... Sister... I'm so sorry... If only I had just listened to Father and Master Tsunashige then my men wouldn't have..." Ujikuni's fists tightened, as his face held a look of grief. Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he looked up to see Ren giving him a serious look.

"Look, you still have men left. The least we can do is make sure we get them home safely. You can apologize then. For now, we have to make it through this battle," Ren said, looking at his brother directly in the eye. Letting out a chocked sob, Ujikuni nodded, as he looked back to his exhausted soldiers.

"Brother, where's Ujiteru and Master Tsunashige?" Ujimasa asked. Ujikuni's eye's widened as he remembered their current predicament.

"Brother Ujiteru and I were separated when we got ambushed by the Takeda. He should be somewhere to the East. Master Tsunashige tried to save us, but the Takeda have his forces trapped in the northern garrison. Please! I'm begging you! You have to save them!" Ujikuni begged. Nodding, Ren jumped back onto his horse when a messenger ran up to them with a panicked face.

"R-Report! More Takeda forces are incoming! They're charging straight for this garrison. Their numbers are far greater than before!" he reported. Everyone had grave looks on their faces upon hearing the news.

"This is bad. At this rate we won't be able to rescue our allies," Hayakawa said worriedly. Just as everyone began contemplating their next move, Ujimasa stepped forward and drew his sword.

"Brother?" Ren asked, uncertain of his eldest brother's intentions.

"Brother, leave half of the men to me. I'll hold off the Takeda while you rescue the others," Ujimasa said, surprising the others.

"What?! Ujimasa, that's far too dangerous," Hayakawa said, worried for her brother.

"It's like you said, Ren. We don't the forces to defeat the Takeda, but we can't just ignore them either. If we just abandon the garrison, they'll have us surrounded in no time. Besides, of all of us, you have always been the strongest. I know you will be able to save them much quicker than I could. As the eldest son of the Hōjō, it is my job to ensure everyone's safety, so please leave this to me," Ujimasa pleaded with a look of determination in his eyes.

"Brother..." Ren was taken aback by his brother's conviction. Seeing his brother prepared to fight, Ujikuni stepped forward as well.

"Brother, please let me fight with you. I can never atone for my crimes here today, but please let me help. I want to do whatever I can to help everyone!" Ujikuni said, tightly clutching his spear. Seeing the two Hōjō sibling ready for battle, Ujikuni's men were able to muster whatever strength they had left to stand by their side.

"Please, my lord. We're not done yet. Let us help!" All of the men nodded in agreement, as they stood ready before the two. Smiling, Ujimasa nodded before looking over to Ren.

"Please, Ren. Go. We don't have much time left. We'll protect your back with everything we have. Not only that, but as long as we hold onto this garrison, we can ensure Father's safe arrival, and keep a secure escape route," Ujimasa said. After a moment of hesitation, Ren couldn't find the strength to argue with his brother's resolve.

"Alright... But please brother, hold on until I get back," Ren said with a worried look on his face. Nodding, Ujimasa and Ujikuni ordered their men to get into formation. Seeing them resolving to fight, Hayakawa walked up to the two of them, as her weapon began to glow a soft white.

"Everyone gather around me. I need to give you all something," Hayakawa said, as all of Ujimasa's men circled around her. Closing her eyes, she steadied her breathing, as a white light surrounded her. A light wave then dispersed around her, fluidly passing through each and every soldier in the area. They all felt a strange force enveloping their bodies, as they stared down at their hands. Ujimasa was sure that he felt a surge of strength as he looked down at his body. Looking at Hayakawa, he was met with her smiling face.

"I may not be able to do much, but I learned this little trick a few days ago. It might not be that strong, but I hope it will help keep you all a little safer," Hayakawa said, giving them a warm smile.

"T-Thank you, Sister! We will be sure not to let you down!" Ujimasa said, as he and Ujikuni bowed to her. All of the soldiers did the same as they felt reinvigorated by their lady's support.

Taking one last look at his brothers, Ren prepared to head toward the east. Looking over at Hayakawa and Kai, they both gave him a reassuring nod. Putting his unease aside, the three rushed forward with their small contingent of men, determined to rescue their remaining allies. Seeing that his siblings had left, Ujimasa quietly let out a sigh.

"Please everyone... be safe" Shaking his head, Ujimasa looked forward once he head the sound of countless hooves, and the rattling of armor. Pointing his sword in front of him, Ujimasa looked at his approaching foes without a single hint of hesitation in his eyes.

"Everyone! The lives of our family depend on us! We cannot give the Takeda devils a single inch! Fight, and live so that we can all return together!" Ujimasa roared out, with is men letting out spirited cries in response. Standing firm, they prepared themselves for the battle, as the two forces crashed into each other, the sounds of their battle resonating throughout the mountains.

(Takeda Main Camp, Mimase Pass)

Letting out an amused laugh, Shingen looked on with a smile on his face, as his messenger relayed to him the state of the battlefield.

"So, the young dragon has arrived to save his family. Ujiyasu's children are just as stubborn as he is, I see," Shingen said, amused. Masayuki, who stood beside was less carefree about the situation, however, as he voiced his thoughts to his lord.

"My lord, with all due respect, this is not a laughing matter. If we do not deal with these new foes quickly, our plan could be compromised," Masayuki said. A man beside him nodded, as he walked to Shingen's side. He had long wild hair with scar on his seemingly hardened yet relaxed face. He donned a white and purple jacket, with a large sword being strapped to his back.

"Yes, I agree. They may be a small force, but some of the Hōjō's best are already present on this battlefield, and we can't afford to expend too many of our men before Ujiyasu's main force arrives. If we allow them to regroup their forces, we could be in serious trouble," the man known as Sakon Shima said.

"Yes, I am quite aware. Have Katsuyori and ninja's place more pressure on our ensnared enemies, and send out Masakage and Nobutsuna to deal with our new guests. You have already proven your skills in defense, young Hōjō, but how will you fare in this battle? Let's put your skills to the test," Shingen said, waving his fan to signal his men. After all of his men left to carry out his orders, Shingen suddenly felt a wave of discomfort filling his chest. Coughing several times into his hand, he slowly opened his eyes to see his a small puddle of blood in the palm of his hand. Frowning, Shingen wiped his hands and let out a sigh, as he stared up into the sky.

(Northern Garrison, Mimase Pass)

"Ha... Ha... I see the son of the tiger is still indeed a tiger..." Tsunashige said between breaths. After a fierce battle with the Takeda, the yellow clad veteran found himself resting on one knee, tightly clutching onto his spear, as he used it to maintain his balance. Across from him was Katsuyori, who was just as tired as the older man. Even so, after emerging victorious from their battle, the brown haired youth was fill with newfound confidence, nearly as much as his men, who all watched in amazement at their young lord's feats.

"I- I did it... I defeated the Warrior in Yellow! With this, the Takeda's victory is assured!" the young man said with a confident smile, as he slowly rose back up, relying on his spear to stand. His men nodded as they began drawing closer to the worn down old man. Pointing their spears at the man, they prepared to send the final thrust when they heard a commotion from the garrison's entrance. Looking back, they saw a small group of Hōjō warriors charging directly for them.

"Master Tsunashige!" Ren called out. As he rushed first into the Takeda forces, he proceed to cut down dozens of soldiers as he rushed nonstop towards to veteran.

Katsuyori quickly thrusted his spear towards him, only to be swiftly deflected by Ren's own blade. Seeing their lord in danger, several Takeda soldiers rushed Ren from behind to try and catch him off guard. Seeing them from the corner of his eye, Ren quickly blocked all three at the same time. Pushing his spear up, the three were left wide open, allowing for Ren to quickly slash them across the chest. Seeing his opportunity, Katsuyori thrusted his spear towards Ren's exposed back. Just before it hit it's mark, his spear was stopped by a familiar one. Looking to his side, the Takeda lord was shocked to see Tsunashige back up on his feet.

"While I'm impressed by your strength, I will not allow any harm to come to the young master. I suggest you fall back while you're still ahead," Tsunashige said, struggling to hold his spear against Katsuyori's with his minimal remaining strength. While Katsuyori pushed back against the older man, he noticed the pained cries of his soldiers. Looking over, he saw them being overwhelmed by Hayakawa, Kai, and the other Hōjō men. Clicking his tongue, he broke the clash with Tsunashige, and saw the open exit.

"Everyone! We've done more than enough, fall back for now!" Katsuyori ordered to his men, who quickly began following his lead. As he raced towards the exit, he grit his teeth and muttered to him, "Forgive me, Masayuki...".

Seeing the Takeda leave, Tsunashige let out a long sigh, as he fell down to the ground, exhausted.

"Master Tsunashige, are you hurt?" Ren asked. The older man waved his hand at the boy, as he shook his head.

"I'm fine, but I certainly would've been far worse had you not arrived. I have to admit, that Takeda boy's got a lot of fight in him," Tsunashige said, as he tried to steady his breathing.

"Are you still able to fight? We need everyone we can to rescue our friends," Kai said, looking around the area with a worried look.

"Don't worry about me. I just need a minute to catch my breath then I'll be ready to go. But honestly, you all are much too reckless. Coming here like this even though you know it's a trap. I understand wanting to help everyone, but you can't be so rash," Tsunashige scolded.

"You say that, Master Tsunashige, but didn't you do the same thing? Rushing here by yourself right into the enemy trap to save everyone?" Ren asked with a smile, as he raised his brow at Tsunashige. Seeing his point, the older man let out a laugh.

"Hahaha! I guess I'm not one to talk! Alright then, that aside, I feel ready now. Let's go rescue Lord Ujiteru before it's too late. His unit got stranded to the east where the enemy forces are much denser, I'm worried about him," Tsunashige said, strapping his spear to his back. Nodding, the four led the way out of the garrison, and quickly galloped along the mountain path. As they continued riding, they soon came across a long drawbridge. Just as they were about to cross, a panicked messenger could be seen running towards them. His armor and face was covered in blood and dirt, and weary look on his face was all the group needed to see to know the severity of the situation.

"You're all here! Thank goodness! Lord Ujiteru is up ahead. Everyone's fighting in a blood bath over there, I don't know how much longer they'll last!" the messenger said in a shaky voice.

"It's as bad as I thought, we have to go now," Tsunashige said.

"Yeah, you're right. Is everyone still with Ujiteru? The Takeda are going to concentrate their forces on his position and the garrison where my brothers are, so we'll need to gather up everyone. Are anymore of our forces still scattered around?" Ren asked.

"Ever since being caught in the Takeda trap, our forces have been stuck so for the most part they are all still together. Well... except for Master Ryuto," the messenger said. Ren's eyes widened at hearing the news.

"Ryuto? Where did he go?" Ren asked in a serious tone.

"Master Ryuto was the only able to break through the assault so he tried to find a way out for our forces. It's been quite a while since we've seen him, so we're not sure what his current status is. What's even more worrisome is that there have been sightings of enemy ninjas around," the messenger said.

"Damn it... Where was he last seen?" Ren asked.

"He was last spotted heading west from here," the messenger said, pointing towards a narrow path to the right of them. Hearing this, he tightened his hold on his spear, and had Tatsu turn in that direction.

"Young Master, what are you doing? We need to hurry to Lord Ujiteru's location," Tsunashige said.

"You all go on ahead. I'm going to look for Ryuto," Ren said.

"What?! It's much too dangerous to go alone, besides Lord Ujiteru needs help now!" Kai said, worried.

I know, but I can't just leave Ryuto on his own. If he still hasn't returned yet then he must be facing some dangerous opponents. It's better if all of you go to help Ujiteru. I promise I'll be there after I've found him," Ren said, preparing to leave. Just as he was ready to set off, he noticed Hayakawa slowly galloping next to him.

"Wait before you go, give me your hand," she said, reaching out her hand. Nodding, Ren slowly reached his right hand out to her, placing it above her own. Taking her other hand, Hayakawa gently held onto to the top of Ren's, softly giving it a squeeze. Closing her eyes, she began releasing her Musou around them. A bright white glow emanated from her hands, as she gently clasped them around Ren's. He could feel the slight warmth coming from her hands, as they slowly began traveling up his arm until it enshrouded his entire body. After a few seconds, the Musou around the two dispersed, as Ren stared down at his hand. He felt completely revitalized, and his body felt much lighter than normal.

"It's not much, but please use it. Just promise me, you'll stay safe, alright?" Hayakawa said, looking at him with worry in her eyes. With a new feeling of strength within him, Ren gently smiled at her and nodded.

"Yeah, I know. Thank you, Hayakawa. I promise I'll be back soon," Ren told her reassuringly. Giving a Tatsu a soft kick, Ren began racing in Ryuto's direction while the others began crossing the drawbridge to Ujiteru's position.

(Central Mimase Pass, Kanto)

In a narrow path between two large mountains far from the major battle sites., only the wind could be heard gently blowing through. Soon the soft wind was replaced by the sound of swift clashes of steel followed by the cutting of flesh, and finally the thuds of bodies hitting the ground. The bodies just seemed to appear from thin air, as they fell down, a rain of red clad ninja's continued to descend out of nowhere. Each person had a small, yet noticeable cut at vital points. After a while the remaining unit of ninja's appeared in circle around the fallen bodies. Following them was Ryuto, who landed directly in the center with the other fallen ninja's littered around his location. The others seemed wary of him, as he carefully maintained their distance. Ryuto appeared unfazed, as he readied his blades which somehow did not have a single drop of blood on them.

"Wow, aren't you scary? I thought pale old Kotaro was the only ninja to watch out for here, but I was wrong," a soft and playful voice rang out. Looking up Ryuto saw the source, standing on the branch of a tree across from him. Looking down at him with an amused face was a young brown haired woman dressed in a pink and white ninja outfit. She held two long blades in her hand, but what really made her stand out was the small squirrel that stood on her shoulder. At first glance, it seemed like an ordinary squirrel, yet the the look in it's eyes and it's posture which resembled it's master said otherwise.

"I don't have time to waste playing with you. I suggest you step aside while you're still not my target," Ryuto said, glaring at her.

"Ooh, scary. Sorry, but you're way too dangerous to just let loose. For my lord's sake, I'll have to cut you down here and now," Kunoichi said, as she jumped down in front of the others. Brandishing her blades, the others followed suit as they began slowly drawing closer. Ryuto remained perfectly composed as he slowly closed his eyes. In his mind, he was able to feel every single footstep that was approaching him from each direction. Seeing him stand there in silence made even some of most experienced Takeda ninja's uneasy, especially after seeing many of their own cut down so effortlessly before. Their tensions did not go unnoticed by Ryuto, who was able to feel their doubts in the sound of their steps. To a normal person, they might have been seen as incredibly silent and skilled, but to another experienced ninja like Ryuto, those small tensions were fatal mistakes. As soon as Ryuto felt the heaviest and most clumsy step behind him, the Fuma ninja made his move. In an instant, Ryuto dashed towards the ninja, who was clearly unprepared for the sudden attack. As quickly as he attacked, the ninja found his vision blacking out, as a small cut appeared on the side of his neck. The attack happened so quickly that the others couldn't process what happened until after they heard the body hitting the ground. Seeing this the eight closest to him rushed while the others swiftly jumped back. They all began cutting away at Ryuto simultaneously, yet the Fuma ninja was able to dodge each attack with ease. He effortlessly slipped through each attack, every movement as fluid as water. As he continued to dodge, he was able to spot the one moment where each one was open at the same time even through the rapid rate at which they were attacking. Seizing his opportunity, Ryuto made a single circular slash with both his blades, creating a linear cut through all eight ninja's. Coughing up blood through their masks, they all fell to the ground at the exact same time.

Before their bodies could even reach the ground, Ryuto caught a glimpse of yet another wave already rushing for him. Jumping up, Ryuto aimed his gauntlets at the ninja's below. Just as they prepared to jump up after him, Ryuto charged his gauntlets with a large amount of Musou to the point where they glowed dark red. Locking on to his enemies, Ryuto began firing arrows from his gauntlets, however, instead of just normal shots, he began firing countless dark red Musou arrows at a rapid pace. The rain of arrows quickly hit their marks with many of the ninjas being quickly shot down before they could even jump up while others became riddled with arrows in mid-air causing them to fall straight back down. Only three were able to jump through the barrage where they quickly began crossing blades with Ryuto. Delivering a swift slice to the shoulder of one, Ryuto followed up by sending a powerful kick in the stomach to another, causing him to groan as he was sent flying down. Just as he was about meet the last one, Ryuto sensed a strong presence approaching rapidly from behind. Instinctively, Ryuto moved to cut down whatever was behind him without looking. By the time his arm was brought around, rather cutting through flesh, it hit a steel blade, making a loud screech echo through the air. Looking over he saw Kunoichi, who was smiling as she blocked his attack.

"You sure are fast, aren't you?" Kunoichi asked, playfully. Frowning, Ryuto quickly used his other blade to block and knock away the remaining ninja he was fighting. As soon as the two landed on the ground, they wasted no time in rushing towards each other with their blades drawn. Running at nearly blinding speeds, the two met each others attacks blow for blow, creating a stream of red and pink to clash repeatedly. The speed and intensity of it was enough to deter the other ninjas from jumping in. Despite seemingly being an even battle, in reality, Ryuto had the upper hand in terms of strength and speed with Kunoichi being on the defensive for majority of the battle. She began sweating as Ryuto continued to strike from countless different angles and directions. Each of his strikes had enough force to push Kunoichi back a good distance, as she tried to predict his next strike. Soon one of his attacks was strong enough to send both of her hands above her head. Seeing her exposed stomach, Ryuto wasted no time in aiming his blade forward, ready to make the fatal stab. Just as he began push forward, he sensed an incoming presence behind him. In the corner of his eye, Ryuto saw another group of ninjas rushing at him. Pointing his gauntlets at them, he quickly fire enough shots to quickly finish them off. That split second was enough for Kunoichi to regain her balance, and move forward towards Ryuto, who just about had enough time to block her blade from piercing his head. Jumping back, Ryuto took his stance as Kunoichi and remaining group of ninjas stared intently at him.

"I'll admit you're really strong. Almost as strong as Kotaro himself, but it must be pretty tough for you to have to fight all of us by yourself, right?" Kunoichi said, winking at him.

"(She's good, but I can handle her. These other guys aren't really a problem by themselves, but dealing with both problems at once makes this much harder than I'd like to admit...)" Ryuto thought, as he tried to find a solution to his problem. Glancing around, he wasn't able to find any openings that he could use to escape. While the normal ninja's can't keep up with his speed, he couldn't just simply run while Kunoichi was still there. Gritting his teeth through his mask, Ryuto had no choice, but to continue fighting, at least until he heard a sudden cry in pain. Looking behind him, Ryuto saw a large wave blade of flames cutting through a section of the ninjas. They cried out in pain as the ones in the center of it's path were instantly cut through while the others who were too slow to jump out of the way were lit aflame. From the center of the flames, Ryuto saw an all too familiar figure rapidly racing through. Jumping through the flames was Ren atop Tatsu. As he landed, he quickly slashed a group of ninjas below, instantly finishing them off. Seeing that Ren was headed towards Ryuto, a large flock of the ninjas quickly jumped up towards him. Underestimating Tatsu's speed, they were shocked when the horse rammed directly into two of them knocking the air out of them, as they were sent flying away. Using this chance, Ren raised his spear and swiftly cut through the others while they were still in the air. Turning to his other side, he sent his spear to meet the incoming blades. To both side's surprise, Ren's blade easily broke through the ninja's blades and cut right through them. Surprised by his new speed and strength, Ren looked down at his blade.

"Thanks a lot, Hayakawa. You're always there to help me..." Ren said to himself as he reached Ryuto. Jumping down from his horse, Ren brandished his spear with his back to his ninja's, as the two were quickly encircled by Takeda shinobi.

"My lord, what are you doing here? Do you have any idea how reckless it is for a general to come here?" Ryuto said in an annoyed tone.

"I couldn't just leave you to fight alone, you know. Besides you're the one thats being reckless. I already ordered you not to run off on your own," Ren said, keeping a watchful eye on the movements of the ninjas around them.

"As I said before, it's different for expendable ninjas like me. As a commander, you can't be so careless with your life," Ryuto argued.

"And as I said before, you are not expendable! I don't consider anyone to be expendable here whether you're a soldier, ninja, or ordinary person, everyone's lives matter, so don't talk to me about throwing my life away when you're the one always running off!" Ren replied in a strong voice.

"Tch! There's no point in arguing with you, is there?" the silver haired ninja said, his eye brow twitching in annoyance.

"I guess not. A commander who rushes recklessly into battle and a ninja who can't follow orders. I suppose we're both kind of idiots, aren't we?" Ren said, smiling.

"So a commander shows up now? What good luck! I'm sure my lord will be so elated if I bring your head back to him," Kunoichi said, as she began running straight for Ren. On cue, the other ninjas also lunged forward from all sides. Turning his attention to the closest threats, Ren's blade produced a large amount of flames, and aimed for the ninjas coming from behind. With one sweeping movement, Ren created a massive torrent of flames that encased a large fan shaped area in front of him. Even the elite ninjas of the Takeda were unable to escape the sheer range and intensity of flames in time, as they soon cried out in pain as they were engulfed by the fierce attack. In the brief moment while Ren's back was exposed, Kunoichi quickly closed the distance between the two. Just as she was about to slash his exposed backside, she sensed an intense wave of bloodlust coming from her side. Her honed instincts allowed her body to jump back on it's own, just in time to avoid a swift attack from Ryuto, who appeared at her former position out of nowhere.

"(That was way too close! If I didn't jump back when I did, he would've cut up in an instant! I couldn't even see him coming. I knew he was fast, but this is something else!)" Kunoichi thought, as she landed several feet away. Her eyes widened when her eyes met Ryuto's. His deep purple eyes had a new look in them that sent shivers down Kunoichi's spine, something that she had rarely ever felt before. It was akin to a hawk's sharp eyes staring down at it's helpless prey as it prepared to make the killing blow. Even Tsukimaru was fearful of the ninja's killer intent, as it's body began shaking on Kunoichi's shoulder.

"You won't lay a single finger on my lord while I'm around, you understand? I promise you that you'll coming any closer" Ryuto asked in low tone. Kunoichi felt each word piercing her heart like daggers, as she could tell that he meant each word, and with his recent attack, he certainly had the ability to back them up. Feeling a bead of sweat rolling down the side of her face, the ninja tried to look around to weigh her options. Her entire unit was strewn across the area, having all been either cut down or burned by her enemies, making her the only one left. Looking at her two opponents, she could instantly tell she had no chance of defeating both of them by herself. Biting her lip, she knew that letting the two of them rejoin the battle was far too dangerous, and for a second contemplated sacrificing herself to stop them. Just as she prepared to make one last charge, the image of certain person appeared in her mind, causing her to stop instantly. Ren and Ryuto were both prepared to fight when they noticed the sudden hesitation in their enemy's movements.

"I hate to just leave things like this, but I promised someone that I would make it back safely. For now, I'll concede defeat here," Kunoichi said hesitantly as she vanished from sight. Seeing her leave, the two warriors lowered their guards, and looked at each other.

"All right, it looks like things are settled here. With those ninja's defeated, this should make things much easier for our forces," Ren said.

"Yeah, but it doesn't help that we're severely outnumbered and trapped in this terrain. What should we do now?" Ryuto asked.

"For now, we have to get back with Ujiteru and others. The situation has become worse since you left. For now, all we can do is regroup and wait for reinforcements," Ren said. Ryuto nodded, as the two began heading back towards the Storm Runner. Just as the two reached the horse, Ryuto stopped and had an uncertain look that could easily be seen through his mask. Looking back at him, Ren gave him a questioning look.

"Ryuto, what's wrong?" Ren asked. After a short pause, Ryuto let a sigh and looked at his lord.

"My lord... Thank you. Not just for this, but for all those other times too. I know that I'm not exactly the most... easy person to work with, and I'm not used to being treated like an equal like this," Ryuto said, his eyes looking off to the side. Hearing this, Ren smiled.

"There's no need to thank me, if anything I should thank you for looking out for me. I trust you completely just like everyone else, so don't worry about something like that, alright?" Ren said.

"I see... Well I promise that I will live up to the faith you have put in me," Ryuto said, bowing. Nodding, Ren hopped onto Tatsu.

"Come on, we need to hurry back. Our friends are waiting for us. Looking at his lord, Ryuto quickly nodded with determined eyes.

"Yes, my lord!"

(Eastern Mimase Pass, Kanto)

"Come on, get up, lord Ujiteru!" Kai yelled, as she held off three soldiers who locked blades with her.

"This is all my fault, I'm so sorry!" Ujiteru cried out, as he was slumped on his hands on knees. The second eldest Hōjō son couldn't find the strength to stand as his helmet was falling over his eyes. As he lied there, everyone was fighting with all of their might to hold off the massive Takeda horde from reaching him. Several of his soldiers attempted to get him to stand, but the general's confidence was shaken. Looking over his shoulder, he saw many of his fallen men scattered all over the ground. Tsunashige with annoyed face, swatted away several soldiers with his spear and gave an angry look to Ujiteru.

"My lord! This isn't the time to be sulking, we need you to get it together now!" Tsunashige barely had time to finish his sentence before he was already crossing blades with two more Takeda attackers. Although the Hōjō were fighting back fiercely, the much larger Takeda army was able to slip through some gaps in their defenses. Five cavalrymen rode through, heading straight for Ujiteru, who still couldn't rise up. Quickly riding across the battlefield, they prepared to lunge their spears forward towards the exposed general. Just as they near his position, they felt their worlds spinning, as their horses lost their balanced and fell forward on their faces, tossing them across the ground with a loud thud. At the spot where the horses fell, everyone noticed a large pool of ice to be the cause. Looking over, Ujiteru saw Hayakawa giving her brother a stern look.

"Ujiteru, we need you to get up. This isn't the time to be moping," Hayakawa scolded before having to block an incoming spearmen.

"But... it was all my fault! So many people died all because I was foolish! We're supposed to protect our family yet because of me..." Ujiteru said, hitting his forehead against the ground. He opened his eyes, however, once he heard a loud cry from a horse in the distance. Looking over, everyone saw some kind of disruption in the Takeda ranks. Suddenly a large crowd of soldiers got blasted into the air, revealing Ren and Ryuto on Tatsu jumping over the Takeda lines. While they were in the air, Ryuto stood up from behind Ren and jumped off. Releasing the blades from his gauntlet, the ninja swiftly cut down a long line of the enemies with an attack that couldn't even be seen. Landing beside Ujiteru, Ren looked down at his brother, who couldn't even muster the strength to look him in the eye.

"Brother, what are you doing? We're in the middle of a battle, you can't just lie there when we need you," Ren said, jumping down from his horse.

"Brother... I'm so sorry... If I hadn't gone against Father's orders then so many of men wouldn't have had to die, and you wouldn't have had to put your lives in danger to come save me. I can never face our people ever again," Ujiteru said, tears running down his eyes.

"Brother," Ren called out, his voice hard. Looking up, Ujiteru saw Ren with a serious face.

"Yes, you made a mistake, and it cost our people a lot. That's why you have to take responsibility for your actions. The first thing you need to do is to make sure those who are still alive can make it back home, and for those who have fallen to be returned to their families," Ren said, closing his eyes solemnly as he saw all of the fallen soldiers.

"That's why in order to do that, we need your strength. You've always looked out for all of us since we were children, and have always worked so hard to fight for them. You've always been the strong older brother that I've looked up to, so now I need you to be that brother more than ever!" Ren said, the strength in his voice making Ujiteru's heart tremble.

"Brother..." Ujiteru clenched his fists, as he forced himself to slowly get up. Seeing the worried look in his men's eyes, Ujiteru grit his teeth and forced himself to stand.

"That's right... I'm the second son of the Lion of Sagami, I can't just sit here and mope while my family is fighting so hard. I can never make up for this mistake to their families nor to father, but... I refuse to just let it end like this! I will fight, and do whatever it takes to get everyone home! Brother, Sister, Everyone! Please lend me your strength to get through this battle!" Ujiteru pleaded, a fire burning in his eyes. Seeing him regain his passion, everyone couldn't help but smile.

"Of course, so come on brother. Let's show the Takeda just how strong we are when we all fight together," Ren said, picking up Ujiteru's longsword from the ground. Tossing it to him, Ujiteru tightly grasped the blade and unstrapped his rifle from his back.

"Everyone, I know I have done you all wrong with my orders, but please if you will still have me, lend me your might!" Ujiteru cried out. Each and everyone single one of his men smiled and raised their weapons in response.

"Come on, everyone! Let's go! We won't let the Takeda push us around anymore! Attack!" Ujiteru cried out as he charged forth together his allies.

(Western Garrison, Mimase Pass)

"Keep pushing them back! Don't let them take a single step forward!" Ujimasa ordered. Several hours after Ren and others left, the battle in the garrison only increased even further in intensity. While the Hōjō have been successful in maintaining a strong defense of the garrison, the prolonged battle was clearly beginning to take it's toll on them. Many of them were beginning to feel the fatigue from fighting for so long with many of them being covered in blood from head to toe, mostly belonging to their enemy. The main reason they have been able to fight for so long was due to Hayakawa's aid and sheer willpower. Even Ujimasa was beginning to grow tired, as his face was stained by blood and dirt. Even his sword was beginning to lose it's edge after cutting down so many enemies. Ujikuni was not doing any better as he was already tired from fighting before.

"Brother! The Takeda have sent yet another wave, we can't hold them much longer," Ujikuni said in between breaths.

"Damn it... They just won't give up, but this is good. It's just as Ren said, the Takeda are putting more and more of their forces to try to take us out. This should definitely help our main forces. I just hope they were able to reach Ujiteru in time,"Ujimasa said with worry.

"Lord Ujimasa! The Takeda are breaking through!" one of the men said, as several cavalrymen pushed past the Hōjō line. Scowling, Ujimasa grasped his sword, as he charged forward with Ujikuni. Blocking the soldier's spear with his sword, Ujimasa slid his blade along the handle of his spear until he cut right through the soldier's body, causing him to fall off of the horse. On Ujikuni's side, after crossing spears with the soldier, Ujikuni used all of the strength in his body to overpower the soldier, throwing him off of his horse on to his back. Before he could get up, Ujikuni thrust his spear into the soldiers chest, causing him to cough up blood with a grunt.

Giving his brother a thumbs up, Ujimasa turned his attention back to the frontline, not noticing a cavalrymen charging him from his side.

"Brother!" Ujikuni cried out, as he tried to run over as fast as he could. Turning around, Ujimasa saw the spear being aimed right for his head. Not having any time to raise his sword, the eldest Hōjō son's eyes widened as the spear was inches away from his eyes. Just as he felt his end was nigh, a sudden figure jumped in front of him. Knocking the spear away, the figure struck the horse on the side of the head with enough force that it was completely thrown to the side with a loud crash. Letting out a cry the horse was sent skidding across the ground while the soldier completely flew off. Processing what just happened, Ujimasa was met with the sight of a very familiar muscular back.

"F-Father?" Ujimasa said weakly as the man turned around to face him with a tired look on his face.

"Is that all you have to say? I rode here as fast as I could, you know. You could at least give me some water, I'm exhausted," the man said lazily, as he scratched his head.

"Father! Thank goodness! I-I'm so sorry, this is all my fault," Ujikuni said, as he fell to his knees in guilt. Looking down at his son, Ujiyasu sighed.

"Yeah, you and your brother got too arrogant and it cost the lives of a lot men. We're definitely going to need to have a talk later, and you're going to have to explain this to all their families," Ujiyasu said sternly. Ujikuni nodded with a guilt ridden face.

"But, I will say, you've fought well so far. You all have been fighting so hard that the we were able to get here safely, and minimized the losses you've already sustained. You've even exhausted the Takeda army with so few men, so good job, I'm proud of you, all of you," Ujiyasu said, smiling.

"Father..." Ujimasa said, tiredly forming a smile.

"Leave the rest to us. I want to go give Shingen my regards for taking such good care of my people," Ujiyasu said, as a large army arrived in the garrison. Kotaro appeared by his side, as the Hōjō cheered the new reinforcements while the Takeda forces took a step back in fear.

"Shingen... It's time to settle this"

 **Phew, and there we go with another chapter. Again sorry guys, it's just that I've been super busy lately with everything, so I'll try my best to not take so crazy long next time. Once more thank you all for reading, and I'll see you next time on Bonds of the Hōjō!**


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